Two is Better Than One
by EvilRegalTwinnies
Summary: The lives of Daniel and Regina's twin daughters who lost their father and grew up apart from their mother and each other, until now. We own nothing, only the characters of Daniela and Lucia.
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to Storybrooke

**Chapter 1: Welcome to Storybrooke**

It's 1983, the first days of the curse. Regina has just met Owen and Kurt Flynn. Regina goes to Mr. Golds shop feeling conflicted.

"I'm not happy," Regina says as she walks in.

"I believe Dr. Hopper's office is down the street," Mr. Gold says sarcastically.

"I don't want to talk to him. I want to talk to you," Regina says.

"Well madam mayor, what is it you want?", he asks.

"This town isn't the deal we made," she says.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what your taking about," Mr. Gold responds.

"No, you wouldn't," Regina says back. "I was supposed to be happy here."

"Well forgive me, but your the mayor, the most powerful person in town. Why would you be unhappy?", he asks.

"Tell me, what exactly do yo want?", he asks when Regina doesn't answer him.

Regina stares at this g lass mobile hanging in the shop. "Nothing you can give me," she says and walks away.

000

Back in the fairytale land, a young Regina is walking to the stables where the stable boy, Daniel, is grooming the horses. Regina walks in with a look of panic on her face.

"There you are! I thought today we could learn," Daniel says before Regina interrupts.

"I can't ride today, I won't be able to for a while," Regina says with tears in her eyes.

"Has something happened?" Daniel asks.

"Something has happened." Regina then starts to cry. "I'm pregnant," Regina says.

"Regina, that's wonderful! We're going to have a baby!" Daniel says excitedly as he picks her up in the air. Regina then turns away.

"Regina, why are you upset? I thought you would be happy," Daniel asks.

"Happy? I couldn't be more thrilled! I'm just... just, oh Daniel, I'm so scared!" Regina says tearfully. Daniel then goes to hug her.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," Daniel says while caressing the back of her head as she buries his face in to his chest.

"My mother, if she finds out, Daniel, I don't know what I would do! And the King! He is a kind man, I don't wish to hurt him!"

"If he's as kind as you say, surely he'll understand. And your mother can be strict , but it's our baby; she can't do anything," Daniel says.

"You have no idea what she is capable of", Regina says tearfully.

000

Back in storybrooke Regina finishes dinner with Kurt and Owen. Regina and Owen go in the kitchen to make Apple turnovers.

"So how come your not a mom?", Owen asks.

"It just didn't work out that way, I guess," Regina says with her eyes full of tears.

"It's too bad, you would be really good at it," Owen says.

"Thank you, Owen," Regina responds sincerely.

000

In the fairytale land in the middle of the night in the stables. Regina is laying up against a wall about to give birth with Daniel there to help.

"Come on, Regina! Just one more! One more push!", Daniel tells her.

Regina pushes with all her might and the baby is out.

" It's a girl!", Daniel says lovingly.

"Is she okay?", Regina asks.

"She's perfect," Daniel says. "Our little Lucia."

"Lucia!", Regina exclaims in admiration as tears of joy roll down her face.

"That's the name we chose, right? For a girl," Daniel confirms.

Suddenly Regina has pain in her abdomen.

" Ohhhhh!", she screams. "Daniel what's wrong?!", she asks.

"There's another baby!", Daniel says.

" What?! Ohhhhh!"

" Regina, I need you to push," Daniel tells her.

"I can't! I can't, I'm to tired!", Regina exclaims.

"Regina, I know you can do this! I love you so much! Just a few more pushes and we'll have another baby," Daniel tells her.

" Ok... ok...", she says gathering her strength.

Exhausted, Regina pushes with all her might.

" Keep going! You're doing good! Almost there!", Daniel says. "Just one more," he tells her.

She pushes one last time and the baby is here.

" It's another girl!" Daniel says.

"Is she okay?", Regina asks.

"See for yourself, Mama," Daniel says as he hands her the babies.

"Daniela," Regina says looking at the second baby.

"What?", says a confused Daniel .

"Her name is Daniela, after her father," Regina says.

"I love you," Daniel tells her, caressing her face and wiping away her tears with his thumb. "I love you, my sweet girls," Daniel says as he kisses the twins.

Regina smiles and laughs through her joyous sobs as she looks at Daniel and their beautiful babies lying in her arms.

000

Back in Storybrooke, Owen runs to the border. The cops are right behind him as he is trying to explain that this is where Storybrooke is. The cops tell him there is no Storybrooke.

"You don't believe me!", Owen says feeling helpless as the police try to console him.

"I'll find you dad, I promise! I won't stop looking!", he yells.

Regina is by the border where Owen is and wants to reach out to him, but can't.

As the cops take Owen away Regina stands by heartbroken with tears in her eyes.

000

In the forest of Storybrooke, two girls if 17 years are laying by the well. One has medium dark hair while the other has shorter shoulder length dark hair.

"Where are we?", Daniela asks.

"I guess this is where the curse brought us to," Lucia answers.

"So next we find Mama?", Daniela asks.

"No,not yet. First we need a place to stay and hideout," Lucia says.

"Why not stay here?", Daniela suggests.

"Do you really want to asleep in a forest?"

"Good point," Daniela responds.

They walk to the inn that Granny owns.

"Hello! We would like a room, please," Lucia says.

"Okay! Here is your room key, last one on the right."

Just then Daniela waves her hand in the air to make Granny forget what she saw. Being the product of true love, the twins' magic remained untouched by the curse.

Once in their room, Lucia yells, "I can't believe you used magic!"

"What was I supposed to do?", Daniela says.

"You know I hate I when you use magic!", Lucia tells her.

"You used magic to bring us here!", Daniela says back.

"Touché," Lucia says knowing that this argument wasn't going to get them anywhere.

"So what's next?", Daniela asks.

"We observe. We learn from what we see," Lucia says. "Then we can start finding out about mother."

"I wish we can just go now," Daniela says.

Lucia then sits next to Daniela and pits her arms around her.

"We'll find her, Dani. We'll find her!", Lucia tells her.


	2. Chapter 2: The Price of Magic

Chapter 2: The Price of Magic

After telling Daniel about their baby, Regina made her way to town to fetch the weekly groceries for her household. Typically, she disliked weaving through the market stands and busy people, but today she didn't mind. She had a lot on her mind. Regina felt flustered, and overjoyed, at their situation; however, she knew that she had to find a way to keep her mother on her side, especially once she started to show.

Upon entering the outskirts of the market, Regina overheard two men anxiously whispering about a man and... magic? Suddenly, an idea pops into her head as if someone had just turned on the light bulb.

She approaches the men. "Excuse me for interrupting, I couldn't help but overhear you speaking about a man with magical abilities?", she asked with a hopeful tone.

"Oh, yes, dearie, but you don't want to involve yourself with him!", one replies.

"Oh no! Too much of a risk!", the other exclaims.

All Regina can think of is her baby's future. Nothing means more to her than the insured safety of her child, which she feels is almost impossible, until now.

"Where can I find this man? Does have as much power as you say?", Regina asks.

"He's powerful, a little too powerful! I wouldn't go to him unless your willing to give your own life, my dear!", one of the men retorts.

Regina's hand subconsciously rests on her stomach as she firmly answers, "I am."

"You seem pretty desperate. We'll help you, but you've been warned!"

The other man explains, "Go somewhere private and call upon his name. He should appear..." Wincing, the man continues on, "Good luck, ma'am. Please put forth great thought before you beg him for help."

"Thank you, kind gentlemen! What is his name?", Regina asks.

"Rumplestiltskin."

000

Once she was sure that she had traveled deep enough into the woods that no one would find her, Regina released her nerves through a sigh before calling out, "Rumplestiltskin?"

Nothing happened.

"Rumplestiltskin?!"

Suddenly, Regina heard a shrill voice from behind her squeak, "I heard you the first time, dearie."

As Regina whipped around, she was shocked at the being in front of her. There was a man, a dirty, slimy man, with ratty hair sitting eye level on a lowered tree branch whose appearance made her insides cringe with fear. Reminded of her reason for needing this man , Regina stayed strong and asked him, "You're Rumplestiltskin?"

"The one and only!", he replied. And with a flick of his wrist, Regina found him standing behind her with his hand grazing her lower abdomen.

"And you came here to seek my help with a little... surprise, no?"

"Yes," was all she could manage to say.

"Well, dearie I have just the spell for you!", Rumplestiltskin exclaimed as he walked around to face Regina.

Suddenly, a small vile appeared in his hand.

"Simply drink the contents of this tiny little bottle, and no one will be able to see the growth of your child until you give birth to it."

"No one will see?", Regina asked astonished, her hand flying to her stomach.

"Nope, no one! Only you and the other creator of the child!", he remarked in a sing-song voice.

In a moment of desperation, Regina took the vile that was shoved into her hands and drank it.

"But, of course, all magic comes with a price!", giggled Rumplestiltskin.

Before Regina could ask for the cost, the magical man was gone, leaving Regina feeling relieved that her child would be safe. The knowledge that her mother wouldn't have to find out about the pregnancy brought Regina some peace at mind.

000

Yawning, Lucia declares, "I'm tired! Let's get some sleep!"

"Yeah, me too!", Daniela agrees.

As they slide their way under the covers of the queen-sized bed, Daniela announces, "You know, Mama's curse didn't leave us much of anything!"

"You're right!", Lucia says. "All we have is our book!", she motions her head toward the book lying on the dresser.

Being 17-year-olds living nomadically, the twins had seen much and met many people they wished not to forget. With a unanimous decision, they decided to make a book with all of the stories of the people they met in the Enchanted Forest, some more friendly than others, but all were nonetheless fascinating!

"One thing's for sure: Mama has great taste for a comfy bed!", Lucia declares as she snuggles into the covers.

"I was just thinking that!", Daniela says through giggles.

"Goodnight, sis. Sweet dreams!", Lucia murmurs as she drifts off to sleep while her sister answers her with the same loving words.

000

A few months after making the deal with Rumple, Regina is alone at her homestead. Cora and Henry Sr. have gone away for the week, leaving Regina, 6 months pregnant, alone in the house. Although she was enjoying her pregnancy, Regina constantly worried about the fate of her unborn child.

Regina is admiring her growing baby bump in the mirror. The deal was that nobody but she and Daniel can see her bump. Just then, Daniel comes from behind and puts his arms around her. Both sets of hands rest on Regina's belly.

"Daniel! You scared me!", Regina exclaims. "What if someone saw you?!"

"They won't know, they're not even home. Look at you," he says in awe.

"I know! I'm getting big!", Regina says.

"You're not big! You're pregnant and beautiful," Daniel tells her.

Just then, Daniel feels the baby kick.

"Was that the baby?", Daniel asks, shocked.

"Yes," Regina smiles down at her belly. "You know, the baby kicks like crazy when we are both together," she says lovingly.

Daniel walks around his giggling fiancé and kneels in front of her to feel the baby move.

"Hey, in there," he whispers, his forehead gently pressing on Regina's belly. "We can't wait to see you! Mama and Daddy love you very much. And take it easy on Mommy, it hurts when you kick," Daniel tells the baby.

"I enjoy it; it lets me know she's okay," Regina tells him.

"She? Since when is it a girl?", Daniel asks.

"I just know," Regina smiles lovingly to her belly. Daniel can see that she already has established a strong bond with their child.

"Well, if we are to have a daughter, she deserves a name as beautiful as her mother," Daniel says.

"I thought of one: Lucia. Its means light, and you and this baby bring light to my day," Regina tells Daniel with nothing but love in her eyes.

"I love it," Daniel says.

"Here that, little one?", Regina murmurs to her child.

Suddenly, the baby gently kicks her.

"I think she approves!", Regina beams.

"I want to stay here with you tonight," Daniel insists.

"Daniel, no. It's much too dangerous."

"Your alone in this home, I want to make sure your okay," Daniel says.

"I'll be fine," Regina caresses his face with one hand while the other lies on her stomach. As she leans in to kiss her love, Daniel happily kisses her back.

000

Later that night, Daniel goes to check on Regina, even though she insisted not to. He walks into her room and finds Regina lying on the floor.

"Regina! Regina!"

"Oh, God," moans a scared Regina.

He picks her up and puts her on her bed. He feels her forehead.

"Oh, no! You're burning up! Hold on, Regina!"

Daniel runs out to get water and cloths. For hours he tries to bring the fever down. Regina awakens but can barely speak.

"Daniel...," she whispers.

"Shhhhh, just rest," he says as he puts a cool cloth to her head.

"The baby?!", she asks.

"The baby is fine," Daniel says trying to calm her.

"No, she isn't! I haven't felt her move in hours!", Regina cries.

Regina moans in pain.

"Regina!", says a concerned Daniel.

"Daniel, you have to save our baby!", Regina cries.

"Regina, I have to help you first," Daniel says, trying to reason with her.

"Daniel, listen to me, you save our baby! Please!"

"How?", he asks.

"Summon Rumplestiltskin," she says as she slips into an unconscious state.

"No, Regina! Regina!", Daniel yells.

"Tisk, tisk. Such a shame, poor woman," Rumple says, appearing in the corner of the room.

"Who are you?", Daniel asks.

"Rumplestiltskin!", he exclaims, dragging out the R. "Looks like you're in a bit of a bind here," he says.

"Please save my fiancé and our baby!", Daniel pleads.

"It's going to cost you," he tells him.

"Anything!", Daniel says.

"Even your first born child?!", Rumple asks.

"No, no! This baby means so much to Regina!"

"Oh, there will be other babies," Rumple says knowingly.

"Why do you want our child?", Daniel asks.

"Let's just say, I'm interested in her future," Rumple explains.

"You're not taking our baby! It will break her heart!", Daniel yells, getting frustrated.

"It's either that, or they all die," Rumple simply puts.

Daniel thinks for a moment.

"If I give you our child, they both live?", Daniel confirms.

"But of course!", Rumple exclaims.

Daniel has tears running down his face.

"Will she go to a good home?", Daniel asks.

"Of course your first born child will go to a good home!" Rumple says.

"I will give you our child, but her mother and I get time to say goodbye," Daniel bargains.

"And why should I do that?", Rumple asks.

"That woman is willing to sacrifice everything for her child's safety! It's going to break her heart! She deserves to be happy even if-"

"Fine! 2 weeks!", Rumple interrupts. "Now, do we have a deal?", Rumple asks.

"Deal," Daniel says heartbroken.

" Marvelous! Here, put this flower in some water and wait for it to dissolve. It will save your fiancé and your children," Rumple explains.

"A flower?", says a puzzled Daniel, Rumple's last words went right over his head.

"It has the power to heal," Rumple explains.

"Thank you!", Daniel says and runs to Regina's aide.

000

Daniela and Lucia woke up the next morning determined to find out more about the town their mother's curse had sent everyone to. As always, they were sure to bring the book with them, in order to make quick references and relations between anyone they may encounter. While enjoying a walk through the town, the girls were collided into by a woman rushing through the streets, causing all them to drop everything they were carrying.

"I am so sorry!", the woman frantically exclaimed.

"It's alright!", Lucia assured the woman.

As they all bent down to gather their things, Daniela caught a glimpse of the woman in front of her.

"Snow?!", she gasped incredulously as Lucia stared at the woman in front of them.

"I'm sorry? I don't think we've met! My name is Mary Margaret Blanchard."

"Um, hello," Daniela replied still perplexed as Mary Margaret picked up the book Lucia had dropped.

"I believe this is yours," she said while admiring the front cover. "Do you mind if I look through it?"

"Umm, not at all," Lucia answered, feeling unsure as to how Mary Margaret would react when she finds her story in there.

"Wow!", Mary Margaret exclaims while skimming through the pages. "These stories are great!"

"Thank you," the girls replied in unison, feeling curious as to why she was so excited by her own story.

"I'm a teacher at the school down the road and I have a student who is going through some trouble at home. He's seemed really blue lately. I think a book like this is just the thing he needs...," she trails off, hoping the girls will understand what she's getting at.

"Aww! Poor little guy!", Lucia says sympathetically. Both sisters feel compelled to help the child; they would feel guilty if they knew there was something that they could and didn't do anything to help.

"If you think our book will help the kid, then you're welcome to borrow it. Just please be sure to take good care of it! It means a lot to us!", Daniela says.

"Really?! Thank you so much,... I'm sorry, I never got your names!", Mary Margaret realized.

"Lu-," Lucia started until Daniela cut in.

"I'm Laila and that's Molly," she announced.

"Well, it was very nice to meet you! I'm very grateful for your kindness, but I've got to get to the school! I'm sure I'll see you around!", Mary Margaret shouted as she continued to rush off.

"Why did you lie about our names?", Lucia asks.

"Because she didn't seem to remember us. I figured we should keep it that way for now.", Daniela replies.

"Ooh smart thinking, sis!", Lucia compliments. "I wonder why she didn't remember us, or even realize that she was reading her own life story."

"I don't know! I guess we have a lot of figuring out to do, huh?!", Daniela chirps back.

000

Back in Regina's room, Daniel gives her the flower water. After a few minutes, Regina awakens.

"Daniel!", she whispers.

"Regina!", Daniel exclaims as he puts a cloth to her head.

Regina gasps and grabs her baby bump.

"Regina, what is it?!", Daniel asks.

"The baby! Come here!"

Daniel leans closer to feel her belly.

"She's moving!", Daniel says.

"You did it! You saved our baby!", Regina hugs Daniel.

Daniel feels her bump again, but notices something strange. Putting both of his hands on her stomach, he feels two separate kicks, and on opposite sides of her belly!

"We've been given a second chance!", Regina exclaims looking into Daniel's eyes.

"Yes! Yes, we have!", Daniel says as Rumplestiltskin's words echoed in his head.

And then it dawned on him.

In that moment, he realized there is not one baby, but twins growing inside of Regina.


	3. Chapter 3: I Had It All

Chapter 3: I Had It All

On the night of the twins' birth, young Snow White was admiring the garden outside of her future mother's home when, suddenly, Rumplestiltskin appears right next to her.

"I bet you're one happy little girl!" he says.

Snow jumps back with fright, not noticing the man until then.

"I'm sorry," she begins to feel nervous when she gets a better look at his filthy features. "I, I thought I was alone. Why would I be extremely happy right now?" she asks curiously.

"Why, because you're about to become a big sister, of course!" Rumplestiltskin replies.

"You must be mistaken. I have no mother yet, and Regina isn't expecting a child", Snow kindly responds.

"Oh, but she is, she is! In the stables! Right now!" Noticing Snow's doubtful expression, he gives her a light push.

"If you don't believe me, go see for yourself!" Rumplestiltskin giggles as Snow makes her way to the stables.

Snow optimistically runs into the stables to find Regina and her stable boy gazing lovingly at the two babies in her arms, occasionally stroking their cheeks and kissing their heads.

"Regina?!" Snow asks.

"Snow!" Regina calls out in sudden panic, unsure of what to do.

"I, I didn't know you were having a, or two babies!" Snow says full of excitement. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Snow, I'm so sorry! Please don't be hurt, dear", Regina tells her.

Handing one baby to Daniel, Regina motions for Snow to sit next to her.

"This, Snow, is Lucia. And that," she says smiling up at Daniel and the baby he's holding, "is Daniel and Daniela."

Snow looks down in awe at the smiling baby in Regina's arms.

"She's beautiful! They both are!" she exclaims with tears of sudden joy filling her eyes.

As Regina leans over and hugs the child with her open arm, Snow exclaims, "I bet my father will be so pleased! Why isn't he here?"

Regina kindly explains to Snow how she fell in love with Daniel before she met the king. To her surprise, Snow seemed sympathetic toward the new family's situation.

"I'll go tell my father," she says as she starts to get up. "He wouldn't want to break up a family!"

Regina reaches up and grabs Snow's arm.

"No, Snow! Snow, dear, please, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone. I don't know what's going to happen just yet, but it will all work out! Please, let's keep this our little secret, for now. We'll decide what to do later", Regina begs the young child.

Snow leans over and hugs Regina before leaving for bed saying, "Okay, we'll figure it out later. I won't tell anyone, I promise!"

000

It is night time in Storybrooke. For years Lucia and Daniela have been watching and learning. Lucia is on the bed reading while Daniela is at the window with a pair of binoculars.

"I don't get it," Daniela says.

"Get what?" Lucia asks.

"The curse! 28 years day in and out, the same thing. What did she want out of the curse?" Daniela asks.

"Revenge on Snow White!" Lucia responds.

"Why don't we just go after Snow?" Daniela suggests.

"You're not thinking clearly," Lucia tells her.

"No, your not! 28 years and we can't see our own mother!" Daniela protests.

Just then Daniela spots a boy walking alone.

"Lucia! Look!"

Here they both look through the binoculars.

"What is he doing?" Lucia asks.

"Let's find out!" Daniela says and they put down the binoculars, grab their coats, and race out the door.

They leave the inn and follow Henry to the border. They watch in amazement as he passes through the town line.

"Did you see that?!" Daniela exclaims in amazement.

"It doesn't make sense! How can he leave Storybrooke?" Lucia wonders aloud.

000

It was agreed that during the day, Daniel would keep the babies safe and sound in the stable furthest back. Regina would visit whenever she could find an excuse to go out to the stables alone, but besides those few sacred visits, the family wasn't complete until nighttime.

Daniel enjoyed caring for his daughters. It was a constant reminder for him of how lucky and blessed he was to have such a beautiful family. However, there was a voice in the back of his head constantly telling him to treasure these days because after two weeks, the family of four would be reduced to an odd number.

Suddenly, one of the babies let out a cry. Finding Lucia whimpering in her bed, he picked her up and held her close. He loved being there for his daughter, but it broke his heart because he knew that soon enough, this precious little girl would be in someone else's arms.

Kissing the soon settled baby on the head, he murmurs, "I'm so sorry, Lucia. I don't want you to be in anyone's arms but your mother's and mine, but it was the only thing I could do to save you and Daniela and Mama. I had no choice. You'll always be my little girl, our little girl."

One of Daniel's many tears landed on the baby's cheek, causing her to stir and snuggle deeper into the warmth of her father's hold. Never wanting to forget this moment, he goes over and picks up Daniela and cradles his beloved daughters in his arms, studying their precious little faces until he was sure that every single detail was packed in his memory, never to be forgotten.

000

Hours later, Lucia and Daniela are waiting by the town line. Suddenly they see a yellow bug coming to Storybrooke.

"Daniela!" Lucia grabs her sister's arm in shock.

"Okay, how is this happening?! Strangers don't come to Storybrooke!" Daniela says.

"28 years...the baby in the book... Sounds familiar?" Lucia says gasping at her realization.

"You're not saying that... that's Snow White's daughter?!" Daniela asks.

"The savior!" Lucia exclaims.

"What is the boy doing with her?" Daniela asks, reading Lucia's mind.

"Let's follow them and find out!" Lucia says.

000

It has been a week since the twins' birth.

After she was certain her parents had gone to sleep, Regina slips out of the house, as she does every night, and heads over to the stables where Daniel and their daughters await her.

As she enters the stables, she hears Daniel struggling in the back with a crying baby.

"Hello, darling," Regina says as she leans over the infant in Daniel's arms and pecks him on the lips.

"Oh, Luci Lu!" she coos as Daniel places the wailing baby in her arms.

"I think she's having her first nightmare," Daniel informs Regina.

Regina looks down at the upset baby and lays her index finger gently on the baby's little nose. Within a matter of seconds, Lucia had settled down at the subconscious reminder that her mother was there to protect her.

"How did you do that?" Daniel asks in full admiration, impressed at Regina's quick adaptation to motherhood.

"They each have they their own remedies," Regina tells her love, hugging her baby as the infant nestles her head in the crook of her mother's neck and wraps her little fingers around a lock of Regina's long wavy hair.

As Daniela begins to cry in her sleep, Daniels rushes over, picks her up, and says, "Could you help me with this little one? She's always more feisty!"

Smiling, Regina reaches out and links pinkies with the flailing baby. Daniela quickly calms down at the knowledge of her mother's presence.

"I'll have to keep that in mind for future purposes!" Daniel chuckles.

"They just need to be shown that Mama and Daddy are here for them," Regina says lovingly, stroking Daniela's little cheek and using her other arm to hold Lucia against her chest.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Daniel says as he walks over to the saddle hanging on the wall, careful not to startle his sleeping daughter.

He returns with two hearts shaped lockets in his hand.

"I want our girls to know that we are always with them," he says, opening the lockets to show that they each contain a small inscription that reads:

_No matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you._

"Oh, Daniel! They're perfect!" Regina exclaims.

He hands her one of the lockets and they fasten the gift around the girls' necks.

Sitting in the corner of the stables, Regina and Daniel continue to hold their sleeping beauties as they lean into each others embrace.

"My precious girls," Daniel whispers as he kisses the top of Regina's head and watches her play with her daughter's fingers.

"Daniel...," Regina doesn't know how to say what's on her mind.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asks, suddenly becoming alert and protective.

"It's just... What are going to do? We can't keep hiding our family in the stables, someone is sure to find out. Plus, it's not fair to the girls! But if my mother were to find out... Or King Leopold! The dear man! I am to be his wife!" Regina says, suddenly feeling helpless.

"We'll figure something out," Daniel says, trying to calm her down.

"We have to run," Regina whispers as it dawns on her.

"Are you sure you want to leave everything? Your parents? Your new duty as Queen? Snow? You're very much needed here," Daniel reminds Regina.

"Daniel, I don't want to be Queen! I am needed here with you and our daughters more than anywhere else!" Regina declares.

Daniel realizes that if they run, they very well may be able to keep both of their darling daughters.

"It would be a shame to raise these amazing girls without you there every second of the way," Daniel says, giving in.

"When I come tomorrow night, I'll bring supplies, enough to last us until we escape this kingdom," Regina offers.

"We'll leave then," Daniel confirms, leaning down to kiss one, true love.

000

Back in Storybrooke, Henry and the savior, followed by Daniela and Lucia, reach a big mansion on Mifflin St.

"Here! Let's hide behind here!" Lucia says as she grabs Daniela's hand and pulls her behind a bush. Daniela looks through the bushes by the house and recognizes the woman talking to the blonde woman and the boy.

"Lucia! It's-"

"Mom!" Lucia interrupts.

They look in amazement and take in what they see. Overhearing the conversation, they watch their mom run to the boy and hug him and are hit by a wave of confusion.

"I was worried about you, Henry! Where were you?!" she asks.

"I found my real mom!" he yells.

Lucia and Daniela are stunned. Their mother has a son? Has she given up on them? Would she still want them? He was also the savior's son?

"It's not fair!" Daniela says as she walks toward the house.

"What are you doing?!" Lucia asks, surprised at her sisters thoughtless acting.

"I'm going in there!" Daniela says.

"Are you nuts?!" Lucia whisper-shouts from behind the bush. "We can't just go in there!"

"Watch me!" Daniela says as she continues her march up to the house.

"Dani! Dani! Listen to me! Now is not the time!" Lucia tells her.

"Then when is?" Daniela yells. "When do we get our happy ending?!"

"We will, but not now!" Lucia tells her, trying to be reasonable. "We have to be careful with our timing!"

"I hate you!" Daniela says as she walks away, knowing that her sister is right.

000

As young Snow lies in bed, waiting for her father to come tuck her in and kiss her goodnight, she thinks of all the things she will get to do with her new sisters as they grow up together. They will play dolls, go berry picking, attend balls... The list goes on and on! Snow is excited to be the best big sister she can be! What excites her even more is the thought of then all growing up together under Regina's care. She loves it when Regina did her hair, she was certain that her sisters would to! She could just picture it now: the four of them braiding each others hair every night before bed, huddling together in front of the fireplace in Regina's sleeping chamber, sleepovers with everyone cuddled up in Regina's bed. Snow was purely overjoyed!

Her daydreams were interrupted by the sound of someone entering the room.

"Father!" Snow called out.

"No, dear, it's me," came a voice Snow was not expecting.

"Cora?"

"Yes, darling. Your father was so tired, poor man. He fell asleep as soon as he laid down for a quick rest."

"He has been working hard lately," Snow agreed.

"I just came in to tell you goodnight for him," Cora said as she sat down on the edge of Snow's bed.

"Oh, how nice of you!"

Cora smiles at the young girl.

"I know Regina would've come in, but I can't seem to find her anywhere!"

Snow was about to tell Cora where she can find her daughter, but she quickly remembered her promise to her future mother.

"Anyways," Cora pushes on, "how was your day, dear? Your cheeks must be this rosy for a reason!" she says as she gently strokes the back of her hand down Snow's cheek. Knowing how close Regina and Snow have become, she knew that this young girl knew where her daughter has been.

"Oh, I just had some fun outdoors! The rabbit that usually visits the garden brought her bunnies with her today. It was beautiful!" Snow covered for Regina.

"Oh, how lovely! Nothing is more beautiful than the relationship between a mother and her children", Cora says with a saddened tone.

"Is something wrong?" Snows asks worried at Cora's sudden change in tone.

"Oh, it's just... No, it's silly,"

"You can tell me!" Snow insists.

"Well, you see, dear, Regina and I used to be as close as a mother and daughter can be, but lately... Lately, I feel like she's been drifting away."

"Whatever do you mean? You're her mother! She loves you so!" Snow tries to comfort the seeming upset Cora.

"I know she does, dear. It just feels different when I'm with her. I know there's something important she's not telling me," Cora says.

Snow feels torn. She understands the importance of the relationship between a mother and her daughter, especially after loosing her mother to a fatal illness. Though she wants to help the elder woman, Snow knows she must keep her secret with Regina.

"It breaks my heart," Cora continues.

Snow's heart gave in.

"I think she's in the stables," Snow informs the woman.

"Ah! Thank you, dear!" Cora says, happy to get what she wanted out of Snow.

"Now, you must get some sleep! It's getting late! Goodnight, dear", Cora says as she pats the girls leg and exits the room with a devious smile on her face.

000

Back at the inn, Daniela is furious with Lucia and refuses to speak to her.

"Will you please just talk to me?" Lucia asks.

"No, because you don't understand! I want to see her!" Daniela says.

"I know! I want to, too!", Lucia says trying to comfort her sister. "But we have to be smart with this. Mama is the most powerful woman in Storybrooke, we have to stay on her good side. Considering all she's been through, she may not believe us if we suddenly walk up to her and tell we're her daughters. We have to handle this delicately."

"Do you have any idea what my life was like?! The woman I lived with beat me and cut my treasured hair for going outside!" Daniela exclaims.

"I know," Lucia sighs.

"No! You don't know! You were doted on by people, but me..." her voice trails off. Lucia knew her sister knew that there was more to the story, but she knew better than to argue about that right now, her sister needed her.

"I found my mama and I..." just then Daniela starts to breakdown.

Lucia goes to sit next to her on the bed.

"Just let it out," she says comfortingly, putting her arms around her sister.

"I...I just... I just want my mommy!" she exclaims. "I want my mommy!" she cries again. Daniela breaks down into heaving sobs in Lucia's arms.

000

Thanks to Snow, Cora knows where her daughter has been sneaking off to during the nights.

After a week of watching her daughter sneak out to the stables, Cora notices that this particular time, Regina brought a large bag with her. Her bag was full, almost as if she had packed for a long trip... It then dawned on Cora who her daughter was sneaking out to see and what her intentions were that night.

Cora decided to follow Regina to the stables.

She watches as Daniel runs out from the back of the stables and meets Regina in a tight embrace.

"Everything ready?" Regina asked.

"Yes!"

After placing a gentle kiss on Regina's lips, Daniel says, "This is the best thing to do. We could never raise our family here."

She decided that she's heard enough.

"Family?! You think I'd ever let you have a family with a stable boy?" Cora scoffs as she strides into the stables, trying to keep her temper undercover.

"Mother!" Regina exclaims in a voice more fearful than Daniel has ever heard from his fiancé.

"Regina, dear, did you really believe that you could hide this relationship from me?"

"Mother, I-", Regina begins.

"Save it!" Cora snaps. "You have all you need, all you could ever want, at the tip of you fingers and you're choosing to live a runaway life with a stable boy?"

Daniel moves to stand right behind Regina, putting his arms around her waist, letting her know that he is there for her until the end.

"Mother, I love him!", Regina declares, grabbing Daniel's hand. "This is all I want. All I could ever need!"

"You don't know what you want!", Cora screams to her daughter.

That was enough to awaken the sleeping babies in the back of the stable. They both begin to cry.

Daniel and Regina's hearts break. Both of them not knowing what to do, Daniel tightens his hold on Regina as she grips his hand so tightly that he might've let out a yelp if he wasn't in such a state of unnerving shock.

They both watch Cora's face as she realizes what exactly was going on. Her daughter wasn't running away with the stable boy to start a family, they were running because they already have a family.

"You...", Cora was speechless. She didn't think her daughter was capable of such a rebellious move.

"I want to see them," Cora declares.

Not wanting to make her mother even more upset than she already is, the couple led the devious woman to the back of the stables, terrified for the fate of their beloved daughters.

"Oh, how precious!", Cora exclaims in a tone so loving that it chills Regina to the bones. "What are their names?"

"Daniela and Lucia," Daniel answers, seeing as to how Regina was far too horrified to speak, though she tried.

"Well, Daniela, Lucia," Cora says bending over to stroke Daniela's cheek. "Say goodbye to Mommy and Daddy!"

"No!", Regina screames, lunging for her children, but it was too late. A purple cloud of smoke had already engulfed them and taken them somewhere else. Regina was left sobbing on her knees in a purple fog, with Daniel right beside her.

After taking a moment to process that he will probably never see his little princesses again, Daniel slowly stood up, angered.

"How could you?!", he yells at the wicked, chuckling woman. "Those babies were your grandchildren! More importantly, your daughter's daughters!"

"What mattered more is that they _were_ yours. The blood of a stable boy never mixes with that of royalty.", Cora simply puts, adding emphasis on _were_.

"Those babies are innocent! They have nothing to do with this!", Daniel yells.

"You're right! This is all on you.", Cora informs him.

And with that, she plunges her hand into Daniel's chest. Regina looks up from her mourning and screams, "Mother! Stop this!"

Grinning at Regina, Cora yanks her hand out of Daniel's chest, at her daughter's request. Only, her hand isn't empty as Regina prayed; it contains his plump, red beating heart.

Never breaking eye contact with Daniel, who now kneeling on the floor was writhing in pain, his eyes of love, sorrow, and apology, Regina pleads, "Mother..."

Cora watches Daniel suffer as she slowly tightens her grip on his heart, letting out a devious laugh that grew as Daniel's heart beat its last and the man toppled over.

Regina ran to her love, scooping him up into her arms.

"Daniel! Daniel, please!", she sobs. "Come back to me", she pleads, kissing him on the lips.

"Silly child, it's too late for true love's kiss," Cora finds humor in her daughter's hopes.

"No... No! Mother why have you done this?!", Regina sobs even harder than she thought possible.

"You are to be queen, my dear. Nothing will stand in your way now. I have told you before, love is weakness. It will only bring you down.", Cora responds harshly.

Regina let out more sobs while caressing her love's still face.

"I loved him," she murmurs, praying that he will open his eyes and embrace her, stroking her hair and making her feel safe once more.

"In time, you will thank me," Cora coldly informs her daughter right before she disappears into a cloud of purple smoke, leaving her daughter to greave over her losses.

She had two other little problems to deal with now.


	4. Chapter 4: Love is Weakness

Chapter 4: Love is Weakness

After killing Daniel in a moment of anger, Cora leaves a heartbroken Regina in the stables mourning the loss of her true love and her children. Cora must figure out what to do with the two babies, who were now wailing in agony, sensing their mother's sudden absence and pain. Cora looks at them in disgust.

"If only your mother wasn't so foolish you may have been princesses. Instead, you're the product of a common street rat. You will not get in the way of my daughter being queen!" Cora seethes through her teeth.

She goes to put her hand in the first baby's chest when suddenly Rumplestiltskin appears.

"I don't think so, dearie!" he teases. "That child is mine," he tells her.

"Yours?!" she shouts.

"She is part of a deal. You want the child gone, don't you?" he asks.

"Yes", she replies, as if she could possibly want anything else!

"Then hand her over!" Rumplestiltskin orders, stretching out his hands and wiggling his fingers.

"What about the other one?" Cora asks.

"Well, that one you may do as you wish; she wasn't part of a deal!"

And with that, Rumplestiltskin disappears with baby Lucia, separating the twins for the first time.

Cora then looks at the child and goes to rip her heart out. She pushes her hand into the now sleeping baby's chest and wraps her devious fingers around the child's heart. As she tries to pull the tiny heart out, something strange happens for the first time. Cora can't rip a heart out.

Feeling anger and utter confusion, she tries and tries again.

"No... No!" she yells.

She goes pick up the baby. Just then Cora feels something surge through her body. A feeling, a feeling of warmth and... joy? This was something that she hasn't felt in a long time, love.

She looks at the baby in admiration.

"Oh, you _are_ a gorgeous baby. You remind me of your mother when she was..." Cora trails off, thinking about her broken daughter in the stables.

Daniela starts to get fussy.

"This isn't right, you need your mother", Cora says, reminiscing on her days when Regina was a baby. As she turns head back to the stables, Cora thinks about what might happen if the child's paternity was exposed. Regina and Daniela could be killed. Her anger at her daughter's foolishness and lack of concern for her future position as queen, Cora returns to her heartless state.

"I can't have you around. You are my weakness", Cora admits and she teleports away with the baby.

000

A few days later, Regina is getting fitted for her wedding dress, the dress she would be wearing for King Leopold. Though this should be a happy moment for her, she couldn't help but to feel broken after having lost her fiancé and her twin girls in one day.

Suddenly, Snow White comes skipping in.

"Wow!" Snow White says in admiration looking at Regina in her divine gown. "You look beautiful!"

"Thank you, dear", she replies stoically.

"I can only hope for my wedding day I will look as beautiful!" Snow White gushes

"I'm sure you will be", Regina replies, trying her best to hold in her emotions.

"Daniel will love it! He'll love this dress on you!" Snow White says.

Regina is confused by what Snow says. She turns to face the little girl.

"What?!"

"I just knew your mother would let you be together. She loves you very much and would do anything for your happiness!"

Regina realizes right then that Snow White is the one that told Cora where she was hiding her girls. An overwhelming feeling of hate consumes her.

"Snow, did you, did you tell my mother were Daniel was?" Regina asks, masking her anger.

"Well, yes", Snow White replies.

"But, I told you not to", Regina's inner emotions leaked out with this sentence.

"Are you mad?" asks the girl, suddenly becoming nervous.

"Of course not", Regina says with a fake smile. "We're going to be a family, you, me, and your father."

"But what about Lucia and Daniela?" Snow asks.

Regina does the best she can to hold back tears.

"They, they died", Regina lies.

"Oh no!" gasps Snow, instantly becoming upset.

"It's alright, dear. I have you and your father, and now we're going to be a family", Regina says blankly.

"But what about Daniel?" asks a confused Snow White.

"He has left", Regina says, fighting her desire to collapse into tears.

"I'm so sorry!" Snow White says and wraps her arms around Regina's waist, resting her head on her chest.

"It's alright, everything will turn out fine", Regina flatly tries to convince the girl, one arm wrapped around the girl and her other hand stoically stroking the back of Snow's head.

It is in that moment that Regina's pristine innocence and kindness had has been overshadowed by darkness in her heart. It is in that moment that she experiences her first spark of evil.

000

In Storybrooke, Lucia and Daniela are in there room at Granny's Inn. Though she understands why, Daniela is still mad that Lucia won't let her see there mama.

"I've been thinking", Lucia says "I think your right; 28 years is long enough! We should take the next step in getting Mama", Lucia tells Daniela.

"Really?" says a shocked Daniela.

"What do you suggest we do?" she asks Lucia, knowing that her cautious sister has probably thought this through.

"We need to get the book back from Henry", Lucia says.

"He has the book practically attached to him!" Daniela points out. "Plus, why do we need it back?"

"For this!" Lucia points out paper and drawing supplies. "We're going to add the missing pages. We're going to add our story!" Lucia says proudly

The look that comes over Daniela is pure joy. They were going to see their mother soon!

000

In the fairytale land, Daniela had been living with a single woman in a tall tower, forbidden to leave. Her hair is as long to her feet. She is a spirited fourteen year old who seeks adventure. The young girl is climbing up the worn path she had made throughout the years of sneaking out of the tower in hopes of returning before her mother, Gothel, awakens from her nap. Entering the tower's only window, she saw that she was too late.

"Rapunzel! What have I told you about leaving the tower?!" her mother scolds her.

"I'm sorry! It's just such a beautiful day and I wanted too-" she begins.

"Enough! You have been told time after time and now you will pay!"

She then grabs scissors and cut her hair to above her shoulders. Rapunzel is devastated.

"Now!" Gothel says as she slaps her across the face. "You will do best not to leave again!"

After Gothel leaves the tower, Rapunzel goes to her bed where she breaks down into sobs, wishing she had someone who would love her and hold her, rocking her gently. She reflects back onto a dream she has had for as long as she could remember, the dream she always thought of whenever her mother would upset her. It's of a young woman holding a baby. The woman smiles and she plays with the babies fingers. "Oh, my sweet Daniela", the woman says. "You're Mommy's little girl!" She laughs as the baby giggles back. Smiling, she holds the baby close, stroking her hair as she lightly kisses the top of her head.

000

Later on in the night, Rapunzel is still curled up on her bed. She had fallen asleep as she reminisced on the dream she longed to become real. Just then a fairy flies in, gently awaking the upset girl.

"Daniela," the blue fairy says. "I'm here to help you."

"How?", she says, still waking up.

"You want something better?", the kind fairy asks.

"Yes! Please anything!", the poor child pleads.

"Then I will help you leave," Blue responds with a caring smile.

Suddenly, the two of them are surrounded by blue, sparkling dust that gracefully dissolves into thin air. As Rapunzel looks around, she realizes that they are no longer in the tower. They are outside of it!

"I don't understand," says a confused Rapunzel.

"Magic, I used magic to help you out," Blue explains as she smiles at the girl's innocence.

"Thank you," Rapunzel exclaims gratefully.

Suddenly, a thought dawned on her.

"But... Now I don't know where to go," Rapunzel informs her new friend.

"Here," the fairy waves her wand and the same magical dust that freed Rapunzel from the tower flows from the tip of Blue's wand and into the locket she is wearing.

"Your locket will guide you. When you find what you're looking, for it will open," the fairy explains.

"Thank you," Rapunzel says. "Thank you so much!"

Blue smiles down on the child.

"You're welcome, young one. Live well!", she advises Rapunzel as she begins to fly away.

Once the fairy is out of sight, Rapunzel realizes the blue fairy called her Daniela, like the baby in her dream.


	5. Chapter 5: Poor Unfortunate Soul

Chapter 5: Poor Unfortunate Soul

The next morning, Lucia woke up to the sun shining through the curtains and onto her face. She looked over to Daniela who was fast asleep. She nudged her sister in attempt to wake her up, but the sleepy teen showed no intention of getting up. Lucia slid out of bed, careful not to awake Daniela and looked at the clock. 8:35. After a shower, Lucia wondered what to do next with her spare time. Her growling stomach made the final decision to go to Granny's.

While walking to the town's diner, Lucia imagined herself walking to breakfast with her mother and sister. Together as a family, the twins would be tucked under their mother's loving arms as they stroll down the streets of Storybrooke, sharing stories of past events as they make their way to the diner.

Upon entering Granny's, Lucia was snapped out of her reverie by a friendly greet from Ruby, one of the waitresses.

"Good morning, Molly!"

"Hey, Ruby! How's it going?" Lucia responded with a warm smile. She and Ruby had become good friends. She was the only person she really talked to besides Daniela.

"Fine! No sister this morning, huh?"

Giggling, Lucia says, "Nope, she's still sleeping! Lazy butt!"

Ruby laughs at her friend's response. After their conversation was interrupted by Lucia's stomach, Ruby chuckles, "The usual?"

"Yes, please!"

As Ruby walked back into the kitchen, the town's sheriff, Emma Swan, walked in. She seemed to be on the brink of a panic attack as her eyes skimmed over all the faces in the diner.

Noticing the blonde's worried actions as she come out of the kitchen, Ruby says, "Looking for someone, sheriff?"

"Henry, I can't find him anywhere! His teacher called Regina asking if everything was alright because he never misses school, but I watched him get on the bus this morning..." Emma explained.

"Wow! I haven't seen him, but I'll surly keep an eye out for him!" Ruby offered.

"Thanks, Ruby!" Emma shouts over her shoulder right before the front door slams shut behind her.

Lucia couldn't help but over hear what Emma had said. As Ruby places her apple pancakes and glass of skim milk in front of her, Lucia exclaims, "I hope they find the mayor's son!"

"Yeah, that kid is always onto something!" Ruby says, settling into the bar stool next to Lucia's.

"Ruby!" Granny yells from back in the kitchen. "Get out of that seat and get working!"

Rolling her eyes, Ruby reluctantly gets up.

"I'll see you later!" She says to Lucia, moping as she makes her way over another table to take their order.

Laughing at her friend's sudden change in attitude, Lucia replies "See ya later!"

000

Fourteen years after being separated from her family, Lucia swam as quickly as her tail would allow her to. She was going to be late, and she knew the consequences for keeping her father waiting, especially when he had been drinking his seaweed juice.

She slipped into the grand palace of Atlantica, her home, hoping to go unnoticed. That's when she heard one of the palace guards telling the servant, "Tell His Majesty that the Little Mermaid has arrived."

She was screwed. Her father would be furious, knowing that she had tried to sneak in. He got angry when ever she snuck out of the palace, but she couldn't stay cooped up in a castle her whole life.

As she entered the banquet hall, she saw her father perched at the head of the long, empty table with a place set at the other end just waiting for her. He had a glass in front of him.

"Ariel!" He roared.

"Hello, father," the young mermaid said softly.

"Where have you been? I have been waiting!" King Triton shouts much louder than necessary.

"I, I...," Ariel searches for something to tell her father.

"You went outside of the palace again, didn't you?!"

"Um-"

"Didn't you?!" The merman bellowed.

"Yes, father," she confessed.

"Ariel! I'm sick of telling you of the danger that lies behind the protection of this palace's magic shield!"

"Father, I'm sorry! I only wanted to search for new coral to decorate my walls with!"

"I can send servants out to get that!" The king screams, angry that his daughter would disobey him for such silly things. "You're lying! That's not why you keep sneaking out, is it?" His words begin to slur.

"Father, I-"

"Ariel," Triton warned in a threatening tone that always sent shivers down the girl's spine.

"I wouldn't lie to you," she whispers in fear.

King Triton approaches his daughter and slaps her across the face, hard. Ariel avoids her fathers glare as tears gather in her eyes. She touches the place where her father's handprint was reddening into view.

"I will ask you again!" the king of the sea shouts in a threatening tone. "Where. Have. You. Been?"

"Father, I-"

"Enough of this _innocence_ game" he hollers as he shoves his daughter a little too violently. She looses her balance and bangs her head against the wall, giving her a tiny gash on her forehead.

Ariel cries out in pain. Before her father has the chance to hurt her with another blow, the servant comes.

"A message has arrived for you, Your Majesty."

Grunting, the intoxicated king swam out of the room. Ariel slouched against the wall, knowing there would be more when her father returned, unless she hid until the beverage had passed through his system. That is exactly what she did, what she always did.

000

After she finished her breakfast, Lucia figured she should help her mother find her son. Trying to remain unseen, she decided to search through the woods. No luck. Upon a clearing in the woods, Lucia spotted what appeared to be a boarded up entrance to a mine tunnel. Something about the boarding caught her eyes. Approaching the entrance, Lucia noticed that some of the boards had been removed from their secure position, leaving a small hole, small enough for a petite person to crawl through, or perhaps a child. At this, Lucia was grateful for her petite frame, for she was able to crawl through the hole.

"Henry!" She called.

No response.

As she progressed deeper into the mine shaft, she tried again, "Henry?"

Suddenly, a flashlight shone its light across her face.

"Who are you?" The startled boy called out.

"My name is Molly." Lucia answered, approaching Henry to get a better look at him and the backpack he was had on. The top of his bag was unzipped due to the large book of fairytales that was sticking out. "What are you doing down here? You're mom is worried sick about you!"

"She can worry," Henry says as he continues to search the tunnel for something. "That's all she ever did to other people, make them worry!"

"That's not a nice thing to say about the woman who raised you and cares for you!" Lucia protests.

"She's evil! She can't be trusted!"

This kid was starting to tick her off. All Regina ever did for him was love him and raise him as her own, and this is how he treats her?

As Henry rattled on, Lucia grew angry. She felt something within her that she hasn't felt in a long time. With that, the ground beneath them began to shake.

"Whoa!" Henry yelps as he falls to the ground.

Lucia managed to hush down her emotions, putting an end to the quake.

"Did you feel that?" He asked her. She hadn't been affected by the motion if the quake.

"Yes. Weird." was all she could say to the boy.

"Anyways," Henry picked up where he left off, telling stories of all the horrid things Regina had done as the Evil Queen. Lucia's rage grew back quickly, he was judging his _mother_ and didn't even know (or seem to care) why she was the way she was. It was only a matter of time before the ground below and above them shook, causing dirt to fall from the ceiling.

Henry found shelter in a little nook of the underground tunnel. Seeing Lucia just standing there looking outraged, the boy timidly called out, "Molly! Under here!"

Lucia just stood there, trying to calm her emotions in order to put an end to earthquake. Avoiding looking at the boy who had generated this anger, her eyes gazed over to the book that had fallen out of Henry's backpack unnoticed during the first quake.

Deciding that it was too dangerous to be underground with this much anger, Lucia used her magic to poof herself and the book out of the mine shaft. Henry watched as the purple smoke engulfed Lucia until she was no longer visible. When the smoke evaporated, the girl was no where to be seen.

000

The little mermaid swam out if the castle and to her favorite spot in the world, the seashore. She found peace and serenity up there, especially during sunsets like this one.

While sitting on her favorite rock, Ariel watched the moon wake up and brighten the world with its dim, white light. A blue glimmering star caught her eye. But was it a star? It was getting closer! As the light continued to decrease the distance between them, she noticed it was a tiny human with a set of beautiful sparkling wings. What was it called? A fairy!

"A fairy!" She exclaimed in pure innocent delight.

Chuckling, the fairy replied, "That's right! My name is Blue."

"Hello! I'm-"

"Not need for introductions, I know who you are, dear," the fairy says gently. Noticing the girl's head injury, she says, "Let me help you!"

Confused Ariel sat still as Blue twirled her wand in a circular motion. Shortly following the notion, blue sparkling dust graced over her forehead, instantly healing the wound.

"I wish you could do that every time..." the girl said silently, gasping in awe, reaching her hand to her forehead.

"Oh, but little one, I can assure you that it won't happen again," Blue offered.

"Really?" Ariel said, gathering her hopes. "How? Father has the palace blocked from magic. It's too dangerous, he says."

"Well, then we're just going to have to keep you out of the palace!" Blue smiled down on the young mermaid.

Ariel's face began to light up at the thought of being able to go where she pleases and not get beaten for the simplest things. Before she could respond to the fairy's words, a cloud of beautiful blue smoke surrounded her and she lost sight of the fairy. As the smoke began to fade, the fairy became visible again. And so did her surroundings, and legs.

In awe at the sight of the well-grown forestry, Ariel asked, "Where are we?"

"Welcome to the Enchanted Forest, Lucia!"

Too stunned to even notice what Blue had called her, the young girl asked, "I get to stay here? I don't have to go back?"

"No, dear child. I won't put you back in harm's way!" Blue assured her.

"Oh, thank you! If you were bigger, I would give you a such a great hug!" Ariel exclaimed, ever so grateful for the fairy's kindness toward her. "Where should I go?"

Laughing, Blue said, "You're welcome! Here,"

With a wave of her wand, the enchanting blue dust engulfed Ariel's locket and slipped inside.

"The magic inside will open your locket when you have found what you need," Blue informed.

"Thank you so much, for everything!" The child cries with joyful tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe that a stranger was being so kind to her when her very own father couldn't.

"You're very welcome, dear! Be safe and live well!" Blue says as she begins flutter off into the sky.


	6. Chapter 6: Together at Last

Chapter 6: Together at Last

After being rescued in the mines, Henry is sitting in his play castle wondering who the girl he met down there is. Being in Storybrooke, she must have come from the Enchanted Forest. He reaches for his backpack to fish out the book of fairytales when he notices it's gone.

"Hey kid!" Emma says as she walks up from behind.

Henry, feeling spooked at the missing of his book jumps when he hears his biological mother's voice.

"What's wrong?" she asks, taking notice of his panic.

"My book! It's gone!" Henry exclaims.

"Relax, kid. It's got to be here somewhere," Emma says.

"No, I always have it with me! Someone must've stolen it!" Henry says.

"Come on. Who would want to steal your book?" Emma asks.

Henry can think of someone. A particular person who didn't exactly seem at ease around him like everyone else usually does.

000

At the inn, Lucia and Daniela are creating the new pages they will put in the book.

"So you think Mama will notice the pages?" Daniela asks.

"Someone is bound to!" Lucia points out.

"How does this sound: _Although separated, they knew one day their hearts would lead them to where they belong._" Daniela recited.

"Sounds pretty accurate to me!" Lucia replies with a smile.

000

After a few hours of dedicated focus, the girls finish their additions to the book.

"Wow! That's beautiful!" Daniela exclaims.

"I'm glad you approve!" Lucia says. "The question is how do we get the book back to him?" Lucia wonders.

"Simple!" Daniela says as she shape shifts into Emma.

"Daniela!" Lucia yells.

"How do you suggest we get it back, then?" Daniela asks.

Lucia knew that her sister had a good point. And if anyone were to notice their use of magic, they would've when Lucia poofed out of the mine shaft.

"Just be careful," Lucia says as Daniela leaves.

000

In Mr. Gold's pawn shop, the weaselly owner was polishing one of his trinkets when suddenly, he stops. After 28 years, he feels there is magic in Storybrooke

000

In the fairytale land, 15 year-old Daniela is on the run. Little did she know that another girl was also running in her direction. Not seeing each other, the two girls clash.

"I'm so sorry!" says a startled Lucia.

"No, it's my fault! I wasn't watching where I was going!" Daniela says.

"I'm Ariel," Lucia says.

"I'm, well I'm not sure who I am," Daniela says.

"Here, you have dirt on your face," Lucia says as she goes to clean it.

As her hand touches her twin's face, a sudden white glow bursts from their lockets. Suddenly, the girls are flooded with visions of a young man and woman holding two babies.

000

Meanwhile, Daniela, disguised as Emma, is walking through the streets of Storybrooke, trying to find Henry to give him the book back. As she rounds the corner, she spots Henry coming off the school bus.

"Emma!" Henry exclaims as he runs toward her.

"Hey! I found your book!" she tells him.

"Cool! Thank you! Where did you find it?" Henry asks.

"At the station, you left it there," she tells him.

"Oh! Thanks! You want to go to Granny's?" Henry asks.

"Sorry, got to get back to the station. Enjoy your time with your mom!"

"She's evil, the Evil Queen!" Henry says, shocked that "Emma" had forgotten.

Daniela manages to control her anger.

"Enjoy your book," she says and walks away.

000

Lucia and Daniela are still glowing white from their first physical contact since their separation. Suddenly it stops and blows them away, causing them to fall to the ground.

"What was that?" Daniela asks.

"I don't know!" Lucia responds.

"Magic," the blue fairy says as she flies in.

"Magic !" They both exclaim.

The two girls both look down at their own lockets and gasp when they realize that they have opened.

"Separated by circumstance. The dreams you both share are not dreams, but memories," Blue began to explain.

"Memories... but that would make us sisters!" Lucia exclaims.

"Twin sisters! While your mother was carrying you both she became very ill. Your father made a deal with a very dark man. It cost him you, Lucia," blue fairy explains, motioning her head toward Lucia.

"Lucia! My name is Ariel!" Lucia says shocked.

"It's the name your mother gave you," the blue fairy says.

"And mine is Daniela, right?" Daniela asks.

"Indeed," the blue fairy nods, smiling.

"So we can find our Mama and..." Lucia says before the blue fairy interrupts.

"Your father died soon after you both were born."

"And our mother?" Lucia asks, saddened by what Blue had said and fearful of her mother's current state.

"Your mother is very much alive , but I must warn you, the years of heartbreak and loss took its toll on her. She has become dark, very dark," the blue fairy informs them.

"But if she's dark, I can heal her," Daniela informs them.

Lucia looks at her shocked.

"Perhaps, but nobody has been able to heal the Evil Queen. Good luck, girls!" the blue fairy says as she flies away.

Lucia and Daniela look at each other with tears glistening in her eyes and become comfortable in each other's embrace.

000

In Storybrooke, Henry is at home reading his returned book when his mother comes in to tell him goodnight.

"Lights out, Henry," Regina says.

When she notices what he is reading, she is feels somewhat hurt and betrayed again.

"I thought I told you not to read this book anymore," Regina scolds.

"Something's different! There are new pages," Henry points out.

"Don't be ridiculous, Henry. Now get some sleep," Regina says as she takes the book away.

Once he is sure that she is downstairs, Henry grabs his walkie talkie.

"Emma! Come in, Emma!"

"Hey, kid! It's kind of late," the sheriff responds from the station.

"Thanks again for finding my book!"

"What are you talking about?" Emma asks, confused as to what the boy was talking about.

"After school you gave my book back!" Henry is just as confused. Why didn't she remember returning the book? It had only been a few hours!

"I've been at Mary Margaret's all afternoon." Emma informs him.

Henry then gets a look of interest on his face.

000

In her study, Regina picks up the book and flips through until she finds the new pages. She studies the two girls in the pictures. She couldn't help but notice similarities between the girls and herself. And those eyes! She had only seen eyes like those once before... And the lockets...

Stunned, she puts her hand on the page.

"There's no way..." she murmurs to herself.

Suddenly she has visions of the night her beloved babies were born, how it felt to finally hold them in her arms, the nights the four spent huddled together as a family, and then that horrid night when everything was taken from her. Regina has tears in her eyes as realizes her girls may very well be in Storybrooke.

000

Together in the Enchanted Forest, Lucia and Daniela make a fire.

"So, you can heal? How?" asks a curious Lucia.

"I don't know! I always could," Daniela says and then asks her newfound twin, "Where are you from?"

"I'm a mermaid from the ocean," Lucia answers.

"Where are you from?" She returns the question.

"I'm not sure..." Daniela responds.

"All that matters is that we now know where we belong!" Lucia says. "We will find her. Evil Queen or not, she is our mother!" Lucia says as they both smile.


	7. Chapter 7: Pieces of the Puzzle

Chapter 7: Pieces of the Puzzle

After seeing the new pages, Regina just knew her daughters were alive. Henry had told her that every person in the book was cursed to this town. Regina wanted answers, but more importantly, she wanted her daughters. For years she has imagined what they would've looked like, what their laughter would sound like, their precious personalities. There was nothing more she wanted then to be able to hold her daughters safe in her arms. She became determined to find them. Someone had to know them.

The next day, Regina goes to the one person in this town whom she knew would attempt to help anyone and anything, Henry's school teacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard, also the woman who gave her son the book.

"Miss Blanchard," Regina called out as she approached the naive woman waiting at the crosswalk.

"Madame Mayor!" says a startled Mary Margaret.

"Answer me this, that book you gave Henry," she says as she pulls the book out of her black tote.

"Explain this," Regina says as she points out the new pages in the book, specifically the picture of her daughters.

"They look familiar... the resemblance is uncanny," Mary Margaret says, thinking.

"What are you getting?" at says a frustrated Regina. She was growing impatient, the need to find her girls growing stronger by the second.

"The girls in the picture look like the girls who gave me the book for Henry," Mary Margaret points out.

"You've, you've seen them before?" says a stunned Regina.

"Only once," says Mary Margaret says. "Why? Do you know these girls?"

"You could say that," Regina says as she walks away, knowing that she's not going to get anything else out of the teacher.

000

At the inn, Lucia and Daniela are sitting wondering what their lives will be like once their mother finds them.

"Hey, you ok?" Lucia asks.

"Yeah. It's just, I'm really nervous, you know?" Daniela responds.

"About meeting Mama?"

"Yeah… What if she doesn't like me? What if after all these years, she doesn't want us?" Daniela says worryingly.

"She loves us! I think she has always carried us in her hearts," Lucia says.

"It's just... My whole life I've never felt loved. I've felt this emptiness inside. The only thing that kept me going was this fantasy that a woman was comforting this baby and every time I dreamed it, I felt like maybe somebody could love me," Daniela says.

"But that wasn't a fantasy! It was a memory, and we will make new memories with Mama! We will get our happy ending!" Lucia says supportively.

000

At the mayor's office, Regina is holding the ring that Daniel had given to her when he proposed. It is her most prized possession. Lost in thought, she didn't even notice when Jefferson walks in.

"You rang, your Majesty?" says an angry Jefferson.

"I need your assistance in a delicate matter," Regina begins.

"Why would I help you?" Jefferson asks.

"Because we both have something in common. We both want our daughters back," Regina says.

"Ironic, considering your the reason why my Grace is gone," Jefferson points out.

"I'm sorry," Regina says sincerely.

Noticing that her apology was heartfelt, Jefferson directed his attention to what Regina has told him.

"I didn't know you had a daughter!"

"Daughters. My daughters were taken from me after they were born... It broke my heart." Struggling, Regina continued. "I wanted people to know my pain and how much I suffered all those years without my girls. But now I'm willing to help you get your Grace back if you will help me find my daughters."

"And how do I know you won't go back on our deal like last time?" Jefferson asks, sympathetic toward the mayor, but not quite trusting of her.

"Because I'm offering this as collateral," Regina says as she hands him the ring from her beloved Daniel.

"A ring?" asks Jefferson.

"It's the last thing I have left of my fiancé, besides our girls," Regina says.

"If I'm to find your girls, I need to know their names," Jefferson states.

"Lucia and Daniela," Regina says, loving the way their names gracefully rolled off her tongue.

000

Back at the inn, Lucia and Daniela are getting ready for bed.

"Lucia, what was your mother like?" Daniela asks.

"Athena? She was very loving and kind. I was so young when she died... When she died, I think my father died with her," Lucia says solemnly, remembering all the pain he had put her through.

"You have me and you have a mother here! Like you told me before, we will make new memories with Mama!" Daniela comforted her twin.

"What have I ever done to deserve a sister like you?" Lucia says, hugging her twin.

"Just got lucky!" Daniela replies.

000

Back home in her mansion, Regina is cooking apple turnovers, made special for the sheriff. Thanks to Jefferson's assistance, she was able to retreat the poisoned apple she had given to Snow White before enacting the curse; and as promised, she helped him get his daughter back. Though he didn't understand how the apple would get her daughters back, she knew that it was a delicate step-by-step process that no longer included him; therefore, she relieved him of his obligation. Once Emma Swan was gone, the curse wouldn't ever break, meaning that her daughters would never have to know of their mother's past as the Evil Queen.

Knowing that her daughters are alive, she found herself reflecting on her past a lot lately. She can't help but feel her invigorating anger toward Snow. If the young child had been able to keep her secret, Regina could've had it all, a happy life free of her mother with her true love and their lovely girls.

Regina snaps out of her thoughts when she sees Emma outside.

"Your family has cost me everything. Now you will see that I can have everything," Regina says as she goes to open the door.


	8. Chapter 8: Wind Beneath My Wings

Chapter 8: Wind Beneath My Wings

This wasn't at all what she had planned! Sure, Regina put the positioned apple in the turnover, but she never _ever_ intended for Henry to eat it! Her son, her baby! Though he was alright now, Regina was so distraught. Her son would never trust her now; she poisoned him like the Evil Queen she used to be! She had been loosing him by the minute ever since Emma had come to town, and now she feared she would loose him for good. She couldn't bear to loose another child.

The fact that the blonde sheriff had been the one to wake Henry up from the curse didn't help the situation either. Not only did she confirm her son's hopes of being loved by his biological mother, but she also broke the curse! Now the whole town knew who she was and would surly come after her. More importantly, what would her daughters think? All they know of their mother is that she was the Evil Queen who cursed everyone to this tiny little town. Regina instantly felt great regret. If only she could've found her daughters before the curse had broken, they would've seen that she isn't the Evil Queen anymore. She wouldn't let the breaking of the curse stop her; she had to find her daughters. The sooner the better!

_Maybe they don't know of all the horrid things I've done. Maybe no one has ruined their precious little minds with stories of my reign. Maybe it's not too late... Yet!_

While clutching Henry's pillow to her chest, she tried to think of ways to find her beloved daughters without getting chased by a mob of anger former villagers. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging on the door.

_Who could that be?_

She suddenly hears Dr. Whale's muffled voice holler out in between bangs, "Open up or were coming in!"

_They're already after me?_

Regina knew she must keep her temper. There was a possibility that maybe this wasn't what she dreaded it was about.

Answering the door with a smile, the mayor says, "Can I help you?"

Dr. Whale, however, isn't buying it. "That smirk isn't going to last forever!" he snarls.

"What are you going to do, kill me?" Regina scoffs, knowing that her attempt to be friendly has gone out the door.

"Eventually, but first, you have to suffer," Whale replies.

She has had enough of this. "Listening to you has been suffering enough!" Looking out to the mob, she confirms, "That's right! You wanted to see your Queen? Well, my dears, here she is!" Regina says, dragging out the last three words as she dramatically moves her hands up above her head and flicks them in front of her, expecting her magic to cooperate, but the only thing that happened was the crouching and screaming of the crowd.

"What?" Regina murmurs to herself. She didn't understand; the curse was broken! why didn't she have her magic?

Once the mob recovered from their fear and noticed that her magic is not working, they grow angry and thirsty of revenge again.

"She's powerless!" one of them yells.

Realizing this himself, Dr. Whale grabs Regina by the arms and pins her against one if the large pillars of her white mansion. Before he can do anything else to her, Emma, David, and Mary Margaret came running into the mayor's front yard, pushing their way through the crowd to get to Regina and the angry doctor.

"Let her go!" Emma shouts above all the commotion.

The people of Storybrooke look at their savior confused. Did she not know who she was standing up for?

When asked why they should release her, Emma replies, "Because she saved you, she chose to break the curse!"

"Whatever she did in the past does not justify this," Mary Margaret steps in. "The best thing for you to do right now is go find your loved ones and reunite. It's been 28 years!" She says as her and David began to shoo the crowd away as if they were a flock of birds fighting over the last crumb of bread.

Emma eyes Dr. Whale, forcing him to unhand the town's mayor and leave with the rest of the mob.

"Thank you," Regina says reluctantly, not wanting to give her enemies praise.

"You're welcome," Emma says. "You may not like this, but you're going to have to come back to the station with me."

"What?" Regina icily.

"Emma's right, Regina. That's the only place we can be sure that you'll be safe, as well as everyone else." Mary Margaret says the last part gently, not wanting to rattle up her former stepmother.

Unhappily deciding that the Charmings were right, Regina says, "Fine. But first, I have a small bit of business to attend to."

"Regina-" Emma begins, but is soon cut off by a mother who is determined to find her daughters.

"Ms. Swan, you're lucky I'm willing to go at all. Technically, you have no right to lock me up, there's no evidence of a committed crime." Sighing, Regina continued, "You have my word that after I'm finished, I will meet you at the station." She just had to make sure that her daughters were safe first. She worried what the mob would do to them if they learn that she was their mother.

Emma could see in Regina eyes that she was telling the truth. She also saw something different, a sort of concern that the fierce mayor never showed.

"Fine," the sheriff reluctantly said.

Emma, David and Mary Margaret begin to leave the yard when Regina reaches out and grabs Mary Margaret's hand softly saying, "I need to speak to you."

000

In the fairytale land, just before the curse is enacted, Lucia and Daniela have made it to their mother's castle, hoping that they can help mend their mother's heart.

"Here it is!" Daniela exclaims as she looks up at the castle.

"After two years we can finally meet our mother!" Lucia says, overjoyed. "The question is, how do we get inside?" she wonders aloud.

"Simple!" Daniela says as she grabs Lucia's hand, disappearing with her sister in a cloud of purple smoke. They transport into what appears to be a library.

"Daniela!" Lucia exclaims.

"Well, did you want the guards to see us struggling to climb up 50 ft to get to the closest window?" Daniela points out.

Before Lucia could answer, an older man shouts, "Intruders!"

"Please! We mean no harm!" Lucia pleads, holding out her hands.

"Why are you in the Queen's castle?" the man asks.

"We've come to see our mother," Daniela says.

The man moves closer to the girls and realizes that they have many of the Queen's features.

"Oh, you dear children!" the man says, welcoming them into his embrace.

They are shocked by the stranger's gesture.

"I don't understand... Who are you?" Lucia asks.

"Your grandfather," Henry Sr. replies with joy and pride.

000

Meanwhile, at one of her only friend's residence, the Evil Queen and Maleficent are having tea and discussing the dark curse.

"You want the dark curse? I traded you for my sleeping curse!" Maleficent points out.

"Undone by a simple kiss! Now please return what's mine!" the Evil Queen says firmly.

"You do realize, not even the dark curse will bring your loved ones back," Maleficent points out, trying to talk her ally out of her plan to set the curse.

Becoming frustrated, the Queen says, "Must we do this?" preparing to fight.

"Ah, we must!" Maleficent says, staff in hand, where the curse was contained in the top piece. The two begin to throw fireballs back and forth. The Queen aims one at Maleficent's beloved unicorn, causing her opponent to run in front of the animal, dropping the staff immediately. The Evil Queen takes this opportunity to take the curse.

"Love is weakness, Maleficent. I thought you knew that!" the Queen says.

"This curse, don't do this! There are lines even we shouldn't cross!" Maleficent begs. "All power comes with a price. Enacting it will take a terrible toll; it will leave an emptiness inside you. A void you will never be able to fill."

The Evil Queen didn't care. The only thing she felt that could make her happy was to make the one who took everything she loved away suffer.

000

Back at the dark palace, Henry Sr. is overjoyed to be meeting his granddaughters for the first time.

"You're our grandfather?!" Lucia exclaims.

"I don't understand," says a confused Daniela.

"Your mother, the Queen, has spent years living broken and sorrowful, but now we can pick up the pieces," Henry Sr. Says.

"How do you know about us?" Lucia asks.

"I didn't for years, but when your mother opened up and told me what had happened to you girls, I felt like I failed you as a grandfather," Henry Sr. says, sounding regretful.

"You did not fail us! You knew nothing of what happened!" Lucia protests.

"Maybe if I would have, I could have helped. I could have spared you the years of desperation of your mother,"

"But we can start a new life together!" Lucia tries to comfort her grandfather, gently putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Where is our mother?" Daniela asks.

"She is meeting with someone," Henry Sr. replies.

Acknowledging the fact that he must tell his daughter about the girls' arrival delicately, he says, "Come, we must keep you girls hidden until I tell your mother!"

"Couldn't we stay in the library?" Lucia asks.

"No! It's too dangerous! Go to the stables! I will come for you when I have told your mother," he promised.

"We trust you, Grandpa!" Lucia says, giving her grandfather one more tearful embrace before teleporting to the stables. Before Daniela is about to follow her sister, Henry Sr. grabs her arm and stops her.

"Daniela, your grandmother told me about you. As cold and heartless as she may seem, you changed her. You have a gift, my dear, but learn from your mother and grandmother's mistakes and use it for the greater good." The man begged.

"A friend told me that I must remain selfless, brave, and true," Daniela points out.

"You have your mother's spirit, my dear child! I promise you, both you and your sister will be reunited with your mother," Henry Sr. pledges.

"Thank you, grandpa!" Daniela says as she goes to hug him, unaware of the fact that this the first and last time she and Lucia would see their grandfather.

000

Nervous about what Regina may do to Mary Margaret if she got her alone, Emma and David stopped and turned around when they heard the mayor ask her to stay behind; after all, she had tried to kill the young woman numerous times before. But Mary Margaret saw a certain urgency in Regina's eyes. The softness in her voice told her that she would be alright.

Waving a hand at her daughter and husband, she said, "Go on, I'll be fine."

Unsure of what was going on, the pair slowly turned back around and left, feeling quite uneasy.

Once they were gone, Mary Margaret faced Regina asking kindly, "What is it?"

"I know I have asked you before, but now that you have your memory back..." Regina sighed. "Do you remember the girls who gave you the book of everyone's tale for Henry?"

Mary Margaret thought long and hard, leaving Regina growing impatient. "Yes, I do! They said their names were Molly and Laila!"

"Do you remember who they were before..." Regina trailed off, knowing that Mary Margaret knows what she's trying to say.

"Oh, I don't know, Regina! I've only seen them once. Odd, though! Two young girls just running around by themselves." After she said that she remembered meeting two girls of the same age as these two in the Enchanted Forest. Both parties were living on the go. They hadn't stuck together for long, but it was long enough for Mary Margaret to make the connection.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, picking up Regina's hopes. "I do remember them! We had met in the forest after I had left home. They said they were searching for their mother. Their names were... Daniela and Lucia!"

Regina's heart was about to pounce out of her chest. She's so close! She had never been so grateful for the teacher before!

"Really?! Where? Where are they?" Regina asked. Mary Margaret had never seen the mayor so eager.

"I'm sorry, I haven't a clue. I haven't seen them since that one time."

Regina's hopes fell, but not completely. At least she knew for sure that her twins were alive and were once looking for her, despite the fact that she was the Evil Queen!

After awkwardly thanking Mary Margaret for the information, she went back inside her house to get her car keys. There was only one other person who she could think of that could possibly know where to find her girls.

000

Later that evening, the Evil Queen returns to the dark palace after her meeting with Rumplestiltskin. Her father had been pacing about, pondering on how to tell his daughter the joyous news.

"Well? Did he give you an answer?" Henry Sr. asks, referring to Rumplestiltskin, the man his daughter went to for advice as to why the curse didn't work the first time she tried it, using the heart of her childhood steed.

"Yes, I'm conflicted," the Queen responds.

"Is there anything I can do? Maybe I can help," Henry Sr. offers.

"I have to cut out the heart of the thing I love most..." the Queen tells him.

Afraid for his granddaughters, he realizes he must hide the fact that they are alive, much less that they are in the stables ready to meet their mother. Then, they would, for sure, become the thing she loves the most.

"Me?" he asks his daughter, knowing that it couldn't be the girls as long as she thought they were already dead.

"Daddy, I don't know what to do!" the Queen says with tears in her eyes.

"My dear, please we don't have to do this," he tells her.

"I have to do something!" she says.

"You don't need to!" he tells her.

"But I can't keep living like this!" the Queen exclaims in saddened frustration. "What Snow did, what she took from me, it's eating me alive, Daddy! She must be punished!"

"But if the price is a void to not be filled, why do it? Stop worrying about power and Snow White, and start over. We can start a new life together," Henry Sr. says trying to some talk sense into her, for then, once he is certain she won't need any hearts, he will tell her about the young twins waiting the stables.

"And what kind of life would that be? Everything I've worked for would be gone!" the Queen tells him.

"Power is seductive, but so is love. You can have that again!" Henry Sr. tells her.

The queen cries in her father's arms. "I just want to be happy," the queen says softly.

"You can be! Of this I'm sure! With the chance, I believe we can find happiness, but the choice is yours," Henry Sr. says.

"I think your right, I can be happy", the Evil Queen says, pulling out of her father's embrace to look at him, her mind made up. "Just not here."

And with that, the Evil Queen rips her father's heart out of his chest.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, watching her lifeless father fall to the ground.

000

Before entering Mr. Gold's pawnshop, Regina took a deep breath. She needed to be confident and responsible with her words, she didn't want him to find out that the twins were her daughters before she got to them; he could do something to harm them.

The bell above the door chimed as she walked in, grabbing Mr. Gold's attention.

"Ah, Your Majesty," he said with a smirk. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for somebody," Regina coolly said.

"Funny, I think that's how everyone in town feels about you!" The older man quipped.

Regina brushed off his comment. She kept her stride steady as she approached his counter, telling him that she is serious.

"Who is it, may I ask, that you're looking for?" Gold asks her.

"Two teenage girls. Twins. They haven't been out much, but I had a feeling you would know where they stay." Regina said, hoping she didn't give away too much. Rumplestiltskin had known that she was pregnant, he had given her the potion to keep it a secret, but he didn't know that she had twins. She prayed that would throw him off.

"So you're finally looking for them?" He asked with a sly smile, sending shivers down Regina's spine.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she says, trying to sound as honest as she can.

"Yes you do. Only, I have to ask, dearie, why the long wait? I'm sure Daniela and Lucia have missed their mother for the past 28 years, not to mention the 17 years before that!" Mr. Gold smirked. He was getting to Regina and he knew it. Just what he wanted!

Regina was shocked. She didn't think anyone else knew outside of her family.

"How, how did you know?" She asks, her voice slightly quavering.

"Well, you see, dearie, when you fell ill while carrying your precious daughters, Daniel made a deal with me."

"No..." Regina gasps.

"In exchange for the enchanted flower that saved you and your children's life, he promised me your first born child."

"No!" Regina can't believe what she was hearing. No way would Daniel ever trade away their child! "You're lying!" She declares, growing angry.

"I don't think so, but don't worry, dearie. He wouldn't agree unless I promised she would go to a good home." Mr. Gold was enjoying this.

Regina didn't think her heart could break any more than it already has, but she felt the wound getting deeper and deeper. As much as she wished the man was lying, she knew he wasn't. Daniel loved her, more than anything, as she did him. He would've done anything for her, especially when it came down to her life.

During this moment, Lucia and Daniela had decided to go for a stroll. They noticed the people of Storybrooke running up to their loved ones and holding them close, as if they haven't seen each other in years, but why? It was long until they heard the townspeople calling each other by their names from before the curse.

"Lucia..." Daniela wanted to ask her sister how the curse broke, but couldn't find the words.

"I, I don't understand! What happened?" Lucia was just as puzzled.

They continued walking through the town, looking through the windows of each shop they passed, witnessing the heartfelt reunions, wishing they could have theirs with their mother soon.

They were coming up to Mr. Gold's Pawnshop. Before they got a look at who was reuniting in this store, both of their lockets popped open and glowed. This wasn't anything like the glow from when the sisters had just met. This glow was stronger, much stronger. The bright white light was blinding as it shone through the windows of the shop their mother was in.

000

In the stables, Lucia and Daniela are waiting anxiously to meet there mother.

"What do you think she will be like? I mean will she like us?" Daniela asks.

"She's our mother! Of course she will love us! Grandpa said she has always carried us with her, always," Lucia says.

Suddenly, dark clouds appear, overwhelming the sky as it overtakes the kingdom.

"No... Is that?" Daniela says before Lucia interrupts.

"Our mothers curse! We need to protect ourselves!"

The twins teleport themselves to the only place they know where they can create a portal quickly, Lake Nostos. When they appear, they are shocked to find the lake empty, all that remains before them was a large, sandy ditch, and a few shrubs here and there.

"What now?" Daniela asks.

"Maybe if we combine our powers, we can heal the waters long enough to get us through a portal to where Mama's curse is taking everyone!" Lucia says.

"What will happen to us?" asks a concerned Daniela.

"I don't know, but you have to trust me!" Lucia pleads.

"The dark curse... Mama had to sacrifice the thing she loved most... She sacrificed grandpa, didn't she?" Daniela asks, instantly sadden at her realization.

"I believe so," Lucia says tearfully.

"She is still our mother! She is broken and she needs our help! Regardless of what she's done, she's our mother and I love her with all my heart!" Daniela says with tears in her eyes.

"And you don't go back on family!" Lucia agreed.

"The curse won't work! She loved Grandpa, but she has always kept us close to her heart. As long as we are alive, we are the things she loves most!" Daniela states, confused.

"Yes, but she doesn't know that we are alive," Lucia shouts as the wind picks up around them..

The clouds are closing in on them, and quickly! They realize they must act fast.

"Ready?" Lucia shouts, her long hair blowing everywhere.

Daniela nods.

They quickly grab each others hands and combine their powers to heal the water of Lake Nostos and jump through the portal. The next thing they know, Lucia and Daniela are waking up by the well in the forest of Storybrooke, just days after the little town was created.

000

Before Regina could think of something to say back to Mr. Gold, the shop was lit by a bright, white light. Curious as to what was causing the light, the two adults look out the shop's display window and saw two girls surrounded by the immense light. Regina gasped as she instantly recognized the lockets that the light was coming from, their ebony colored hair, and petite frames. Completely forgetting her company, she ran outside.

All the girls could see was the brightness of the light. But suddenly, they could see the outline of a woman running toward them with arms wide open. As she got closer, the light dimmed, allowing the twins to see their mother approaching them. Soon enough, they were close enough to touch, and before they knew it, before any of them had the chance to say anything, Regina had both of daughters wrapped in her arms, at last.

She held them close to her, and they held on just as tight. Each twin buried their face into their mother's chest, Lucia on her mother's left and Daniela on the right, both crying tears of joy. Regina rested her head on top of her daughters' heads, releasing silent sobs. She never thought she would _ever_ be able to hold her daughters again.

She cradled the back of Lucia's head with her left hand, kissing the top of her soft, silky hair. Her hair felt the same as it hand when she last held her baby. Then she put her right hand on the side of Daniela's head and caressed her daughter's cheek with her thumb, catching her tears and kissing the top of her head. Regina murmured between sobs, "I... have never... stopped... loving you..., my darlings."

They stayed this way for a while. None of them wanting to let go. They could've stayed like this forever, content in each others arms, in a state of pure bliss.


	9. Chapter 9: All I Ever Wanted

Chapter 9: All I Ever Wanted

After many years of waiting to reunite with their mother, Daniela and Lucia finally find themselves in her warm embrace. Being in their mother's arms brings back a familiar feeling of comfort and love that they hadn't felt in much too long.

"Oh, my sweet girls," Regina says with tears in her eyes. Her daughters bury their faces into the crook of her neck, allowing their mother's hair to brush against their faces anytime she moved. They all felt that this moment was so surreal, almost as if it were a dream. They just stood there, clinging to each other for as long as time would allow.

"This isn't a dream? It's really you?" Daniela finally asks, fearing that she may wake up in her room at the inn to find just her and her twin there.

"Yes, it's really me," Regina murmurs, stroking her girl's hair. "And I am never leaving you girls again." She pulls her girls closer to her, as if there were such thing.

000

Upon seeing the bright, white light, the Charming family ran to the site of the scene, not knowing at all what to expect. After all, the curse had only just been broken. Once they round the corner, Mary Margaret stops dead in her tracks as she sees the reunion taking place at the other end of the block. She realizes who the girls are that Regina has pressed against her in the most loving hug imaginable. Both girls have their arms wrapped around her torso, their heads resting right under Regina's chin. In return, the woman kisses each of the their heads before resting her own on top, her arms pulling them even closer into her. Mary Margaret had never seen her look so happy, not in years, not since their night together in the stables.

"Who are they?" Emma wonders aloud.

"Regina's daughters," Mary Margaret says with tears in her eyes as she flashes back to the day she sat beside the new mother and held one of the babies, Lucia. The newborn had been so small. She remembered the way the baby smiled at her. She could've stayed out there all night with Regina and Daniel, laughing together, fawning over the twins, giving into her future stepmother's embrace as they sat in the hay together. It felt like a real family, the kind she had always dreamt of, with a mother, father, and children. Lost in her bittersweet memories, she failed to notice Emma and David's jaws drop to the ground and their eyes widen to full capacity.

"Hey! I know her!" Henry continues moving toward the reunited family.

"Daughters? Regina doesn't have any kids!" Emma protests, still in shock.

"You never told me that before," David says gently, placing his hand on his wife's back when he saw the emotions in her eyes.

"It was a very painful time for us all," Mary Margaret whispers.

000

"Mom?" Henry says, approaching the family.

The girls are furious that he had to break up this sweet scene.

"Henry!" Regina exclaims, reluctantly letting go of her daughters to hug him.

"Mom, you know these two?" Henry asks.

"They're my daughter's," Regina says warmly, smiling down at the girls. It filled her heart with joy to finally be able to say these once forbidden words.

"Hey! You're the girl I met in the mines!" Henry exclaims.

Regina looks at Lucia in confusion.

"You have magic, too!" Henry says with excitement, unaware of the chills those words sent down Regina's spine.

"You... you girls have magic?" Regina asks softly. She manages to mask the fear in her voice with curiosity.

"Yes," the twins reply in unison.

As Emma, David, and Mary Margaret approach the group, Regina remembers her promise to the sheriff. She runs her hand through her Lucia's long hair while pulling Daniela close to her with her open arm, for she knows she will have to leave her girls for who knows how long! The curse had just broken; the people did have a good reason, actually many, to keep the Evil Queen locked up. But that's not who she is anymore. She realizes then that she wants to be the best person she can be, for the sake of her daughters and their new life together.

"Regina, is it true?" Emma asks, snapping the mayor out of her thoughts.

"Yes," she replies. After sadly looking down into her daughters' eyes, she sighs, saying, "I suppose it's time to go to the station now."

"What?" Lucia says trying to control her anger, and shielding her breaking heart from the party. There's no way these people could possibly have the hearts to lock up a woman who has just been reunited with her children.

"I made a deal, honey," Regina says, her hand on her daughter's cheek as tears began to build up in the seventeen year-old's eyes. "It will only be for-"

"Forget it," Emma interrupts, still not over the sight of the feared mayor as a loving mother. She had seen how much she loves Henry, but this? This was different. It was like seeing a whole new Regina. A much happier, warmer, loving Regina. David and Mary Margaret look at their daughter in amazement.

"Excuse me?" Regina asks, hoping she had heard the sheriff correctly.

"You just found your daughters. They need you. They don't deserve to see their long awaited mother in jail. You guys have been through enough. Go home."

"Thank you," Regina says, offering Emma a grateful smile that is awkwardly returned. She puts an arm around each daughters' shoulders as she leads them in the direction of their home.

"Emma, do you realize what you have done?" David asks once Regina and the girls are out of earshot, bewildered at his daughter's deed.

"I gave up Henry so he could have a better life," Emma begins before Mary Margaret interrupts.

"Regina's daughters were taken from her. They've all had broken lives apart from one another. Let them help each other pick up the pieces," Mary Margaret pleads her husband who relents his voice of mind.

000

Once at the mansion, Regina unlocks the front door, revealing the inside of her, now their, home. The girls have seen the outside, but never the inside. They step in, gasping at the grandeur of their mother's home. It was so luxurious, so divine, yet so simple. It fit them perfectly.

"Mama, this is beautiful!" Lucia says, as her and her sister stand in the foyer, their eyes wandering everywhere.

Regina's heart warmed at the sound of her daughter calling her Mama for the first time. She couldn't help but think that the first time should've been about sixteen years ago, but she shakes that thought out of her head; she didn't want to have sorrowful thoughts on this wondrous day.

"Come with me," Regina says as she puts a hand on each of the girls' backs, guiding them up the stairs. She leads them to a room.

"This is one of the guest rooms. Do you want your own rooms or do you want to share?" Regina asked, looking at the twins.

"We get a choice?" Lucia asks, surprised at the offer.

"Of course! This is your home, too!" Regina says smiling at them. She couldn't help but wonder what her daughters had been through that made them excited at the opportunity to choose what they wanted. She hopes it wasn't anything like what she went through with her mother.

Daniela becomes overwhelmed by what just happened. Not only did they get to see their mother, but now she was automatically assuming that they will live with her? Her heart feels overjoyed, but her mind is telling her that this is all too good, that there's a catch somewhere.

Lucia can see her sister is overwhelmed. She places a reassuring hand on Daniela's shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze. Regina sees her daughter is distressed; it worries her.

"Daniela," Regina says with concern.

"I just... I don't know what to say," Daniela says, excusing herself. She heads back in the direction they just came from and sits on the stairs.

"She's never been shown this much love and affection. She's afraid to get to close to you. She needs you, Mama. We both do," Lucia says softly.

Not sure what to say, Regina cups her daughter's face in her hands. Caressing her cheeks with her thumbs, she looks into those nearly pastel green eyes. Lucia looks up into her mother's soft brown eyes and saw concern coated with love. After kissing her daughter's forehead, Regina says, "I'll go talk to her."

She walks down to the middle of the staircase where Daniela is sitting.

"Daniela, sweetheart," Regina says as she puts a comforting arm around her.

"I'm sorry, Mama. It's just, I'm not used to this," Daniela says softly.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to apologize for anything," Regina says, tucking a strand of her daughter's hair behind her ear.

"For years I've been dreaming of this day, for so long and... It just seems too good to be true," Daniela says.

Regina thinks back to the short time she had with baby Daniela. The one thing that would calm her, besides being held in her mother's arms, was when she would play with her fingers. Hoping for the same result, Regina then takes her daughter's hand with her own and massages it. Her mother's gesture brings such comfort to Daniela; she can't help but think that it feels vaguely familiar as she begins to calm down.

"I promise you, baby, that you won't ever be alone!" Regina promises as she pulls her daughter into her, one hand on her back and the other cradling her head against her chest. Daniela relaxes in her mother's arms, deciding to be grateful and joyous for the day's turn in events and accepting of anything their new lives may bring.

000

In Mary Margaret's apartment, Emma's mind is crawling with questions regarding Lucia and Daniela. David's as well. Henry had decided to stay with Emma, still not trusting his mother.

"Henry is asleep," Emma says, climbing down the stairs. "Now can you tell us."

"I had no idea Regina was even pregnant," Mary Margaret begins once everyone is seated at the kitchen table, "until I saw her in the stables holding two babies. She begged me not to tell anyone,"

"What happened?" David asks.

"Her mother tricked me into telling her. That night, she ripped their father's heart out in front of Regina! I don't know what she did to the girls, but from my understanding, they lived a life on the run," Mary Margaret says, tears silently escaping her eyes as she reflects on all the pain she had caused a woman she looked up to as a mother figure.

"If Regina didn't know of her daughter's existence until now, I mean, know they were alive, how did they get to Storybrooke?" Emma asks.

"I'm not sure, but from what Henry said, Lucia has magic; and if one twin does, I'm sure the other does, too."

"For Regina's sake, and the sake of the town, it's best that we keep them together," David says, thinking of how an angry mother with strong powers is much more dangerous than an Evil Queen.

The two women nodded in agreement.

"I'm going over there," Mary Margaret declares.

"To Regina's? It's nighttime!" David exclaims.

"I know, but like it or not, I'm partially responsible for what happened to them; and, after all," Mary Margaret says, heading to the coat rack, "they are my sisters!"

"I'm going with you," Emma declares rushing out the door after her mother.

000

_Nearly midnight_.

Regina puts her head back on the propped up pillows that allow her to gaze down at her sleeping daughters. Daniela is lying to her mother's right, her arms wrapped around her middle and her head resting on Regina's shoulder. In response, Regina had gently laid her head against the top of her daughter's. Lucia is a bit further down in the bed, using her mother's stomach as a pillow. She had fallen asleep facing Regina as the overjoyed mother softly rubbed her daughter's head with her free hand. For years, Regina had longed for these kind of everyday moments with her children. Upon realizing that she is currently accomplishing that "fantasy", her eyes were overflowing with tears of joy.

Suddenly, the ding-dong of the doorbell sounded throughout the house. Much to her delight, she was the only one who heard it; her daughters were still sound asleep.

After miraculously managing to escape from her girls with out waking them, Regina dries her eyes and makes her way down the stairs. At the bottom of the steps, Regina thinks back to who was at the door the last time she answered. What would an angry mob do if they knew she had daughters? Would they try to harm them as well? She decided to answer the door. Who ever it was, they obviously knew she was home. Where else could the most unwanted person in town be? It would seem rather suspicious if she didn't answer. Masking her emotions, Regina turned on the porch light and opened the door.

"Ms. Swan? Do you know what time it is?" Regina asked, confused as to why the blonde could be here. She already had Henry, what more could she want?

"It was my idea," Mary Margaret says, stepping into view. "I know I've told you this before, but Regina I am _so_ sorry for my part in what happened to the girls. I look forward to getting to know my sisters once again," she said gently, hoping that she didn't upset Regina.

"Do you have any idea what your broken promise cost me? What it cost me what it cost them?! I will never forgive you; and you are, and will _never_ be, their sister!" Regina growls.

"Regina-" Emma says before she is interrupted by a noise outside followed by a loud crashing.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asks, startled.

"A wraith. Gold must have sent it after me." Regina says, thinking out loud.

"Mama, what's going on?" Lucia says as her and her twin stand behind their mother.

"It's nothing, darling. Go back to sleep," Regina tells them gently.

"No. We want to help," Daniela says. Her heroic trait scares Regina; she didn't want anything to happen to her.

Emma and Mary Margaret can see Regina's stubbornness in the girls.

"We will be careful, Mama," Lucia promises. Regina strokes her daughter's hair in response.

"How do we get rid of it?" Mary Margaret asks.

"The hat. Follow me," Regina says, leading the way to her office in the town hall.

000

At the office, Regina goes to the safe spot she had hidden Jefferson's hat.

After Regina turned around with the hat in hand, Emma instantly reflects back onto her little visit with Jefferson a while back.

"The hat!" she says. "You had it all along!"

"What hat?" Regina asks with an eye roll. They had no time for background stories. They needed to get rid of this wraith before it damages anything, or anyone at that matter.

"Jefferson's," Emma replies, not catching onto Regina's sarcasm.

"Who's Jefferson?" Regina says sarcastically. Emma rolls her eyes in reply.

While the twins were amusing themselves by watching their mother and Emma's conversation, Mary Margaret had snuck off to the supplies closet down the hall. She returns with four brooms and lighters in hand.

"Here," she says, Emma, Daniela, and Lucia a broom.

"I don't understand. Why we need these?" Lucia asks.

"The wraith is attracted to light," Regina explains as Mary Margaret goes around lighting the bristles of everyone's broom.

"So why can't we kill it?" Daniela asks.

"You can't kill something that's already dead," Regina replies, wishing she didn't have to have this conversation with her daughters. "That's why we will open a portal and send it into oblivion," Regina says.

"Now get ready," Regina tells everyone. The burning brooms had successfully done their job. The room shakes as the wraith comes in. Regina is trying to get the hat to work and open a portal as it usually does, but has no luck.

"Regina, now would be a perfect time for that portal to work," Emma shouts over the sound of the wraith looming closer to the group.

"I'm trying," says a frustrated Regina.

Noticing her mother struggling, Daniela puts her hand on her mother's shoulder. Their powers combined make the hat spin, and within the blink of an eye, the portal is open. As the portal enlarges, Regina stretches out her arms and pushes her girls back. There was no way she was going to loose them again.

The wraith comes floating toward Regina in high speed. Not wanting to loose her mother again, Daniela jumps forward and pushes Regina out of its path. She had not looked at the direction she had leapt in, and before she knew it, she was falling into the portal, her destination unknown to all.

"No!" Regina screams in agony.

"Daniela!" Lucia cries out.

Mary Margaret jumps in after her, in attempt to save her.

"No! Mary Margaret! Emma yells and throws herself after her mother.

Regina tries to follow her daughter, but the portal closes. Regina is left kneeling on the hardwood floor, sobbing.

"No! Not again," she cries in between heaves. "Not again!"

Lucia runs to her mother. She falls to her knees, crying as well. Who knew when, or if, she would get to see her twin sister again. Regina pulls her into her lap. Lucia grips onto her mother's jacket as she buries her tear streaked face into her chest. They sit there and cry together.

"My baby," Regina mourns. "My poor baby!"


	10. Chapter 10: In My Daughters' Eyes

Chapter 10: In My Daughter's Eyes

They had been sitting in the middle of the room for the past 30 minutes. Regina held her daughter close, hoping to calm her down, but how was she to do that maternal task when she had trouble calming herself? When she notices that her daughter has stopped shaking, Regina looks down at Lucia, who is deeply sleeping in her arms. The girl's head is resting on Regina's right shoulder; her right arm draped over her mother's other shoulder. Regina begins to gently rock her daughter, running her fingers through Lucia's hair as she admired her features. She has her hair, but her eyes were most definitely a gift from her father. Regina remembers their pale green color and the way they had glistened as they gazed at her earlier. A tear escapes from her eye as she recalls Daniela's features. They are identical to that of her twin's, except for the fact that her hair grew to about her shoulders, whereas Lucia's met the bottom of her shoulder blades. Daniela also has rich brown Mills eyes. Regina's tear slides down her face and lands in Lucia's cheek, gently waking the girl.

"Mama," she softly says, looking up at her mother.

"Yes, baby," Regina murmurs, pulling her daughter in for a comforting hug, cradling the back of her head with her hand.

"How long have we been here?" Lucia asks weakly as her eyes slowly wonder around the room; she is still half asleep.

"Long enough," Regina says, standing up, pulling her daughter up with her. Putting an arm around her for support, she says, "Let's go home."

000

In the Enchanted Forest, a place they thought was long gone, Emma and Mary Margaret come falling through the portal.

"Emma! Emma, are you okay?" Mary Margaret asks, checking her daughter for any visible injuries.

Before Emma could answer, Mulan, a resident of the forest, comes running up, shouting, "There! Those are the ones who brought the wraith here and killed Phillip!" She points at Emma and Mary Margaret.

"What should we do with them?" Aurora asks, coming up behind the warrior.

"Take them to the safe haven," Mulan decides.

As they pick them up and drag them away, Emma realizes someone is missing.

"Uh, Mary Margaret, where's Daniela?" Emma asks.

"Oh no!" Mary Margaret exclaims, frantically looking around, but Daniela is nowhere to be seen.

000

Meanwhile, the portal spits Daniela out outside of Regina's old home from before she married the king. Not knowing where she is, or even what realm currently occupies, Daniela walked around the remains of the damaged house. She walked through the remaining arch of a doorway into what appears to have been a living room. There is a torn up couch, a scratched coffee table, and a weathered fireplace. Throughout all the wear and tear this house has obviously been through, a painting had managed to remain hanging above the mantle. Noticing the artwork, Daniela goes over to it and wipes some of the dirt and dust off of it. In the small clearing she made through the filth, a young woman's face stared back at her. Daniela instantly recognized the young woman's features. It's her mother! She cleans off the remainder of the picture to discover that it is a family portrait of her mother when she was about her age, a man whom she recognizes from their encounter at the castle, and her grandmother. Wanting to know what her mother's home looked like when she was growing up, Daniela uses her healing powers to restore the entire house to what it once was.

000~

The next morning, Regina tries to open her eyes, but is blinded by Lucia's hair. Lucia had slept in her mother's bed with her. Regina had seen that she didn't want to be alone, especially after what had happened within the previous hour. She had brought her daughter to her room with her, where the girl happily crawled in bed after her mother and snuggled into her warmth, falling asleep shortly after.

After moving Lucia's hair from her face, Regina looks down to see that her daughter hasn't moved since she had fallen asleep, both of them laying on their side with Lucia's head snuggled against her mother's chest and Regina's arms around her. She lifts her head to look over her daughter to check the time. 10:35. It's Saturday, she could lay there with her daughter all day if she wants.

Noticing her mother's movement, Lucia stirred in her sleep. She let out a soft whimper.

"Shhh," Regina soothed as she stroked her daughter's face. A small smile spreads across her lips as she watches her daughter's eyelids flutter open.

"Good morning, Mama," Lucia softly says.

"Good morning, darling," Regina answers in a hushed voice. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhmm," her daughter responds, snuggling more into her mother's embrace.

"Mama?"

"Hmm," Regina responds, burying her face in her daughter's hair, loving every second of this moment. She kissed her head, taking in her daughter's scent.

"Can I ask you some questions?" Lucia gently asks. She doesn't know much about her mother, and that pains her. They had just really met; and with all that went on that night, they didn't exactly have time to get to know each other yet.

Regina looks down at her daughter, clarifying, "What, like twenty questions or something?"

Lucia looks up at her mother and nods, a smile growing on her eager, innocent face.

"Sure! Ask away," Regina says, pulling her daughter closer to her as she asks her first question.

"How old are you?" Feeling her mother's laughter vibrate against the side of her head, Lucia smiled, hugging her mother tightly.

"I'm going to pass" she responds.

"Alright," Lucia giggles back. "How about... What do you like to do in your free time?"

Regina has to think about this one. Lately, she had been sabotaging Emma and fighting for her son's love. What she did once enjoy was riding horses, but she couldn't tell her that, it would lead into another story that she wasn't ready to tell.

"Well, I like to read," Regina says.

"Cool!" Lucia chirps. "What's your favorite color?"

Regina pulls away from her daughter just enough to give her a questioning look. Lucia looks up at her mother's confused face and realizes how silly her question must've sounded.

"Red," Regina replies with a smile.

Lucia laughs as her mother places a sweet kiss on her forehead.

"One more question! Could you tell me the story about the day you had us?" Lucia carefully asks. She doesn't know if that was too sensitive of a question, considering all that has happened to her mother, but she really wants to know. Almost every child has been told their story.

Regina looks down at her daughter, "You want to know about the day you girls were born?"

Lucia smiled at her mother, confirming her question.

"Well, let's see," Regina says, pulling her daughter close to her again as she thinks of where to begin the story.

_Regina is nine months pregnant and more than ready to have her baby. Little does she know there's another baby anxious to meet her mom. She had a craving for apples; she couldn't get enough of them! Going out to the apple tree in the yard, Regina scans through the branches on the trees in search of the perfect apple. She settles for a bright red one hanging off the branch swaying above her head. Lifting one arm up for the fruit, she rests the other on her bulging stomach. Daniel notices his fiancé struggling from the stables, and runs up behind her._

_"Regina!" He exclaimed, placing his hands on her hips. "What are you doing?"_

_"Getting an apple," Regina replied, turning around and kissing him._

_"If you want an apple, you tell me and I will get it for you," Daniel says, caressing her face with one hand and her belly with the other._

_"You're being silly," Regina laughs._

_"I just want to make sure your okay and that the baby is healthy," Daniel says. Regina's hand meets Daniel's on her stomach as they both smile down at her belly._

_Daniel was constantly worried about Regina doing too much with her carrying twins. He knew she had to be extra careful, she just didn't know it._

_"I can assure you, she's fine," Regina says. "Feel here," she smiles as she moves Daniel's hand to the upper right side of her belly._

_"She's quite the kicker," Daniel chuckles._

_"She's usually quiet, but lately she's been more active. She constantly kicks me wanting attention," Regina says massaging the spot where the baby kept kicking._

_Daniel thinks this might be the second baby she's talking about._

_"The baby wants attention?" says a humored Daniel._

_"Oh, I'm sure of it! She starts to calm down when I touch my belly and start talking to her," Regina says, a loving smile graces her lips._

_It breaks Daniel's heart to know that they will have to give a baby away. He is thankful that there is a second that will hopefully fill the void._

_That night, there are huge claps of thunder and lightning decorating the sky. Snow is fast asleep in the guest bedroom, but Regina can't sleep. No one else was home. Every time a roll of thunder would sound throughout the sky, the baby would kick, each time getting harder._

_"It's okay, little Lucia," Regina cooed, rubbing her large belly. "The angels are just having a party in the sky."_

_The baby kicked her mother hard in response._

_Feeling uncomfortable by the fierceness of her daughter's kicking, Regina eases her way out of bed._

_"Let's go see Daddy," Regina says, holding her stomach as she waddles outside to the stables._

_Halfway to the stables, Regina has a sudden pain in her lower back. She pauses and slightly bends over, trying to relieve the pain. It soon goes away._

_As she enters the stables, Daniel is putting things away while attempting to calm the horses from the storm._

_"Regina! What are you doing down here?" Daniel asks, rushing to his love. "Is everything alright?" He nervously asks, putting a gentle hand on Regina's stomach._

_"The storm kept me and Baby up; we needed you," Regina says, resting her hands on Daniel's chest. He notices something is off with Regina._

_"Regina, are you all right?" Daniel asks, his voice filled with concern._

_"I'm fine, my back just hurts," Regina admits._

_"Here, sit," he says as he leads her to a stool. "Any better?"_

_"Yeah I-" She begins before she feels an excruciating pain in her lower abdomen. She clutches her belly as she leans over it, waiting for the pain to pass._

_"Regina," Daniel rushes to her and kneels in front of the pained young woman._

_"I'm fine, she's just kicking real hard," Regina says, afraid of what she thinks is really happening. Her fears are confirmed as she feels her dress become soaked with water that she can't seem to stop._

_"Oh no no no no no!" Regina cries._

_"What's wrong, Regina? What's going on?" says an anxious Daniel._

_"I think my water just broke," Regina whimpers, looking at her fiancé with fear in her eyes._

_After laying Regina down in an empty stable, Daniel begins gathering supplies he will need for the birth. He has helped horses have there fouls, but nothing could ever compare to the importance of bringing his own child into the world. He sees Regina struggling through a contraction._

_"It's okay," he soothes. "I'm right here."_

_Regina tries to get up._

_"Regina, what are you doing?" asked a confused Daniel_

_"I can't have this baby, Daniel. I can't!" cries Regina, tearing streaming down her face._

_"Regina, honey, you have to lie down," Daniel says, helping her back down._

_"Daniel, I'm so scared," Regina admits._

_"There is nothing to be scared of," he says, grabbing her hand and massaging it. "I'm here for you. Everything is going to be okay."_

_"No, it isn't. As long as she is inside me, she's safe. The minute she leaves... Oh, Daniel, what if my mother does something to her... What if the king... Daniel, he doesn't... Daniel, Daniel," Regina says, panicking as the contraction worsens._

_Daniel is worried about Regina, especially with how much she is struggling now. It will be even harder when she has to give one of the babies away._

_"Regina, Regina, listen to me. You need to stay calm, okay?" He says, placing his hands on either side of her face._

_Regina is having trouble with her breathing._

_"Small deep breaths, honey. You're doing well. Listen to me you have to stay calm._

_"Daniel, the baby," Regina begins._

_"Is fine," he finishes._

_"Take slow, deep breaths with me. Listen, Lucia needs you to stay calm, okay? Think of her. She is your number one priority right now, bringing her into the world, and you are not alone. I'm here with you," he says, sitting beside her, holding her hand while the other caresses the bottom of her belly. Regina starts to calm down._

_"Think of holding her wrapped up in her soft pink blanket, nice and warm in your arms. Think of all the times you will rock her to sleep, seeing her first steps, hearing her call you 'Mama'," Daniel says._

_That is all Regina needs to get her through the next few hours of labor._

After she finishes telling the story, Regina sits up. She notices a tear slip out of her daughter's eye. Lucia quickly wipes it away, hoping her mother didn't see it, but she did.

"Oh, baby," Regina says as she pulls her daughter into her warm embrace. She felt a few more tears seep through her silk pajama top before she pulls away, just enough to see her baby's face. She wipes away the remaining tears with her thumb.

Before either of them has the chance to say anything, Lucia's stomach lets out a deep grumble.

Chuckling at her daughter's sweet sheepish grin, Regina exclaims, "We better get some food in that belly!" She kisses her daughter's forehead and gets out of bed. Her daughter trails behind her as she leads them to kitchen.

000

"Be careful, be careful!" Emma says as the two princesses threw an unconscious Mary Margaret to the ground. All of the sudden anxiety had worn her out.

"Need some help?" a woman says.

"Who are you?" Emma asks, not able to see who is speaking to her.

"A friend," the woman said, stepping into view. "My name is Cora."

Mary Margaret awakens, shocked, and slightly scared, to find Cora here.

"No, Emma, stay away from her!" she exclaims.

"Mary Margaret, what's your problem? She's just an older lady," Emma says.

"If you think Regina is bad, her mother is even more evil than she ever was!" Mary Margaret warns in a confident voice.

"Oh, Snow! It's so good to see you," Cora says, keeping her composure, standing up straight, hands casually linked together in front of her, head held high.

"Maybe she knows how to get out of here so we can find Daniela," Emma suggests, trying to calm her mother down.

Mary Margaret looks at Emma, her eyes wide and full of terror. Still not understanding who this woman is, she gives Mary Margaret a confused shrug.

"Daniela... Daniela is here?" says a shocked Cora. She clutches her chest as a vaguely familiar sensation throbs through her, making her very uncomfortable.

"I should have known," Cora says as she disappears in a cloud of purple smoke.

"Emma! Do you have any idea what you just did?!" Mary Margaret scolds.

000

At Regina's old homestead, Daniela finds herself wandering into the stables. Right as she enters, her locket glows, not white, but a very dark red.

"I wondered when I would see you again," Cora says.

"Hello, Nana," Daniela says.

"Why can't you be an obedient girl and stay away when you know you're not wanted?" Cora tosses out the hurtful rhetorical question that she always used on her daughter. She tries to use magic to throw the girl to the other end of the stables, but Daniela is quicker and has Cora in the air before the woman can twitch her hand, much like Cora used to do to Regina. Cora just floats in the air, shocked at the turn in events; this has never happened to her before.

"Why can't you do as you're told?" Cora scolds, glaring down on her granddaughter from the air.

"I'll start being an obedient granddaughter when you start being a loving mother and grandmother," Daniela gently puts her down and approaches the woman saying, "And like it or not, you need me."

"Care to elaborate," Cora retorts, thinking that maybe this girl is a Mills girl at heart.

"We both have one thing in common; we both want to get back to Mama, well in your case, your daughter. I can make a portal through Lake Nostos," Daniela says.

"Those waters have been dried up for the past 28 years," Cora refutes, rolling her eyes at her granddaughter's innocence. As if she hasn't tried that already!

"Don't be silly, Nana! You know what I'm capable of," Daniela says.

Cora looks at her knowingly.

"And why should I trust you?" Cora asks.

"Because I'm offering this as collateral," Daniela says as she reaches into her chest and rips out her own heart, screaming at the sudden unexpected pain she had put herself through.

"Here," she says, holding her live beating heart out to Cora. "Take it."

Amazed at her granddaughter's trust in her, Cora looks at her heart and feels this different kind of power consume her. Much to her dismay, and denial, Cora is feeling love, love for her granddaughter. Cora then reaches toward Daniela and puts her heart back inside her. Daniela whimpers at the pain, shocked her nana didn't crush it.

"Why didn't you crush it?" Daniela asks. She knew Cora wouldn't crush it; she just wanted to hear her say it.

"I didn't feel that it was necessary," Cora says, looking her up and down. "Oh, you remind me so much of your mother."

There goes that feeling again! Where was all of this coming from? Cora doesn't want to give into love, for she strongly believes that it is such a weakness to one's power, but with this girl, her granddaughter, love seemed to slowly overcome every once of power and resistance in her body.

"I don't understand," Daniela says, noticing her grandmother's internal battle. It makes her wonder why one would ever try to push away love.

"You will, sweetheart, but for now, let me help you get your happy ending. If you take me to Lake Nostos, I will make sure you get back to Storybrooke, safe with your mother."

"What do you want in return," Daniela asks, knowing that there has to be some sort of a catch.

"My daughter back," Cora says.

"You ruined her life, my life, and Lucia's life as well. Why now? Why do you want her back now?" Daniela asks.

"I want to start over. I want to start a new life with your mother and you girls," Cora says.

Daniela desperately wants to trust her grandmother.

"Okay," she gives in. "We will both go to Storybrooke."

"And with me there to guide you, there's nothing we won't be able to do," Cora says with a smile.


	11. Chapter 11: Senses

Chapter 11: Senses

In Wonderland, a 15 year-old Daniela is being dragged by guards through a maze to the castle of the Queen of Hearts. They stop before the Queen's throne where she sits with a mask covering her face. The Queen whispers into a horn the Knaves of Hearts has held against his ear.

"The Queen wants to know why you have come to Wonderland." He states.

"Your Majesty, I did not mean to trespass on your land. A fellow man named Jefferson was helping me find something," Daniela stammers.

After taking another listen to the horn, the Knave declares, "The Queen wants your name and what you're looking for."

"My name is Daniela and I'm looking for my family." As Daniela says this, the locket around her neck begins to glow a bright red.

The queen takes off her mask she is wearing and looks at the girl, studying her features.

"Leave us," she orders to everyone else present in the room.

Once they all scurry out of the room, the Queen walks down her pedestal to get closer to the girl.

"You shouldn't have come here. You aren't wanted," the Queen of Hearts, Cora, says.

"I'm sorry! I'll leave right away," Daniela promises, hoping the Queen will even let her get away.

Cora suddenly feels something she hasn't felt in 15 years, love.

"Daniela!" Cora exclaims, loosing control of her soulless persona.

"I can't believe it's really you!" She says as she goes to hug her granddaughter.

Daniela is very confused by all this.

"Your Majesty, I don't understand," Daniela says as her face is suddenly engulfed by the Queen's royal garments.

"Fifteen years and you have found me after all this time," Cora says, pulling back and admiring the girl.

"You've met me before?" asks a confused Daniela. For all that she knew, she had been in the tower most of her life. Certainly she would've remembered having any visitors.

"I held you in my arms as a baby. You still look so much like your mother," Cora says, running her hand down Daniela's face. "You have our eyes."

"You know my mother? How?" Daniela asks excitedly, hoping she has just come closer to finding her mother.

"Because I'm your grandmother," Cora smiles.

000

After spending the day with her mother in her office at the town hall, Lucia and Regina head home for dinner. They somehow managed to avoid the people of Storybrooke, resulting in a peaceful day. Once the kitchen is clean and they are ready for bed, Lucia sits with Regina on her mother's bed. She is sitting criss-cross-applesauce in between Regina's legs. Regina sits behind her daughter, combing her long, luscious locks. When she is finished, she puts the brush down beside her, pulls her daughter against her and buries her face in her hair, murmuring, "All done."

Lucia leans back into Regina, enjoying the comfort of her mother's warmth surrounding her.

"Mama?" She asks quietly.

"Mmhmm," Regina responds, enjoying her daughter's light weight on her. She was so tiny and easy to cuddle with, every mother's hope for her daughter.

"Would it be alright if I slept in here with you again?" Lucia asks timidly with a glimmer of hope shining in her voice.

"Honey, I was hoping you'd ask!" Regina smiles, pulling her and her daughter under the covers, not letting go.

Lucia lays on her right side, facing her mother. In opposition, Regina lays on her left to face her daughter. She can't help but to smile to herself when she feels her daughter put her arms around her waist and snuggle up to her mother. In response, she wraps an arm around Lucia's back, securing the girl into her embrace. She uses the other one to stroke her head, occasionally kissing it and murmuring words of endearment. Lucia soon falls asleep to the steady rise and fall of her mother's chest as she breathes.

000

In Wonderland, Daniela is thrilled that she has found her grandmother.

"You're, you're my Nana?" Daniela says as she goes to hug her. Cora subconsciously wraps her arms around the girl. She hadn't recalled ever wanting to be with the young girl so much, but now that she's here, all she wants to do is hold her. Remembering her reason for giving away the child in the first place, she pulls away.

"We haven't much time, follow me," Cora says as she leads her into the castle.

They are now in the Queen's bed chamber.

"Why are we here?" Daniela asks.

"I told you, we haven't much time," Cora says as she goes to her jewelry box, still not answering the girl's question.

"Here," she says as she hands Daniela a necklace with her mother's picture in it along with Cora's.

"It's beautiful," Daniela exclaims as she admires the necklace.

"Is this-" She begins.

"Your mother," Cora confirms, nodding.

"She's beautiful," Daniela says with tears in her eyes, lightly running her finger over the picture.

"All my life I wanted to know what she looked like, how it felt to be loved by-" Daniela says before Cora interrupts.

"What do you mean? You never felt loved?" Cora asked.

"The woman who raised me hated me. She cut my hair off because I wanted to go outside. She hurt me," Daniela says gently.

Cora feels her anger bubbling to the surface. She pushes it aside for now, knowing what she must, and will, do later.

"If there is one thing I know about your mother, it's that she loves you with every fiber of her being. You are the thing she loves most," Cora says. "But if I can give you a piece of advice, love is weakness; it gets in the way."

"With all due respect Your Majesty, I believe love is strength," Daniela says.

And with that, Cora poofs Daniela out of Wonderland.

"Goodbye, my love," Cora says.

000

Later that night, in Wonderland, Cora summons Gothel into her palace via magic.

"Well, Cora, it's been awhile! How are you?" Gothel asks as Cora's smoke evaporates away from her.

"You don't get to talk!" Cora snaps, approaching the woman, her anger from earlier boiling within her. "I gave you a baby years ago and you mistreated her!"

"If I recall, you wanted her gone!" Gothel says, getting defensive. "Why do you care what I did to her?"

"Because," Cora says as she shoves her hand in Gothel's chest and pulls out her live beating heart.

"She was special. She was the thing I loved most," she says as she crushes Gothel's heart into dust.

000

Around two o'clock in the morning, Regina wakes up to her daughter fidgeting in her arms. Lucia's eyebrows are furrowed, her head slightly nodding from side to side.

"No," Lucia murmurs under her breath.

"Shh," Regina soothes, cradling her head against her chest.

It doesn't work.

Remembering how she used to calm her baby down whenever she was upset those seventeen years ago, Regina lightly lays her index finger on her daughter's nose. Feeling her mother's touch, Lucia subconsciously calms down.

Regina can't help but to feel like the ultimate mother. She still has the magic touch when it comes to calming her girls down. Lucia tightens her hold around her mother and nuzzles her face into her chest as Regina feels her breathing beginning to deepen once more.

An hour later, Lucia begins to talk in her sleep again.

"Where are you going?" She says.

Regina wakes up to those words. She looks around the room in a slight panic, only to find that they were the only ones there. Confused as to who her daughter is talking to, she looks down to see that her eyes are still closed.

"Lucia, it's okay," she whispers, stroking her daughter's cheek.

"Wait! Don't go!" Lucia says, increasing her volume.

"Shh... Honey, it's alright," Regina kisses her forehead.

"Daniela!" Lucia screams, sitting up in the bed.

Regina is saddened by the emotion in her daughter's voice. She figures Lucia is reliving what happened the other night.

Pushing back her tears, Regina grabs her shoulders, waking up her daughter, and pulling her into her arms, expecting the girl to be upset. But she wasn't.

"Mama!" Lucia exclaims in joy as she pulls back from her mother's embrace, but not enough to break her hold.

"Are you alright?" Regina asks her daughter, perplexed as she cups Lucia's chin with her hand, looking into her eyes.

"Mama, Daniela is okay!"

"What?"

"She's alive!" Lucia squeals, grabbing her mother's arms.

"How, how do you know? Are you sure?" Regina asks, stunned at what her daughter has just said.

"Yes, Mama! She told me! She said she's in a safe place and she's bringing someone who wants to see us! She's coming home!" Lucia beams. Though, she has been having the time of her life with her mother, she missed her twin terribly. She couldn't help but to wish that she could be here, and now she will be!

"Oh! Darling, that's wonderful! How did she tell you? What happened?" Regina exclaims.

"I don't know. I was just sleeping when she suddenly popped up and we just started talking! She says she's sorry for making us worry and that she loves you," Lucia smiles.

Regina can't hold back her tears any longer. She just allows them to flow down her face. She grabs Lucia into a hug, laughing, "I love her, too!"

They sit there in each other's embrace for a minute before Regina pulls her daughter's face up so she can down into her eyes, places her hand on her cheek, and says, "I love you."

Her thumbs catch the tears that fall from Lucia's eyes.

"I love you, too," she whispers back.

Regina kisses her forehead, leaving her lips to her daughter's head for a few moments. In response to Lucia's yawn, she says, "Lets get a bit more sleep, we'll talk more about this in the morning."

"Okay," Lucia barely says, as she falls asleep while her mother pulls them both under the covers.

000

After letting Lucia know that she is okay, Daniela continues to sleep. Since she restored the house, Cora and Daniela were able to stay in the old Mills home. Cora slept in her old bed, whereas Daniela was fast sleep in her mother's old room. It made her so happy to know that every night, her mother used to sleep in the same bed. It brought her comfort, to an extent. Daniela suddenly begins to toss and turn in her sleep. She had been having a deep, peaceful sleep, until she suddenly saw herself in a situation she prayed she'd never have to be in again. In her sleep, she saw herself back in her tower, cowering into the far corner of her bed. Gothel is hovering over her, yelling at her for innocent childish actions. She then does the unthinkable and holds an iron rod over the fireplace. Once the pole is glowing a bright tangerine color, Gothel saunters over to Daniela, who was begging for mercy from her bed.

Daniela begins shouting in her sleep, "No! Please!"

Soon enough, she is crying in her sleep. Her screaming pleas are enough to awaken Cora, who comes running into room.

"What are on earth are you shouting for? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Cora scolds.

"I'm sorry," says a frightened Daniela shaking from her nightmare.

"Well, you've already awoken me, the least you can do is tell me why you were screaming," Cora scolds, crossing her arms in front of her.

Suddenly, Daniela grabs her arm, gasping in pain.

"What is your problem?" Cora snaps.

She then notices a weird red shape on Daniela's arm. Cora yanks Daniela's sleeve up her arm, alarmed at what she finds.

"Are those burn marks?" Cora asks, bewildered.

That feeling of love that she desperately tries to fight is rapidly filling her body, too quickly for Cora to fend herself.

Daniela's crying only confirms Cora's suspicions.

000

The next morning, Regina and Lucia are standing at the kitchen sink together, washing their breakfast dishes. After Regina gives them a good, sudsy scrub, she hands them to her daughter who was standing right by her side. Lucia dries the dishes and puts them back in their place.

She is reaching up to put a ceramic plate back up in the cupboard, when she looses her grip. The plate comes tumbling down and hits the floor, generating a loud crashing sound that pierces through Lucia's ears as it shatters to a million pieces.

The young girl looks up at her mother in fear, who had quickly turned at the sound, hoping that her daughter is alright. Regina leaves her dirty plate in the sink, dries her hands, and approaches her daughter.

Looking down at Lucia, she can see the fear in her eyes. She recognizes that fear. It's the same kind of fear Regina had whenever she knew her mother was about to release her wrath onto her.

Stepping over the shattered plate, Regina slowly decreases the distance between her and Lucia. She reaches out a hand for her daughter to take, but is shocked by her actions.

In response to seeing a hand coming toward her after an accident, Lucia panics. It was as if her brain went on autopilot, telling her to take cover, that she was in trouble and would pay. She flinched away from her mother's hand, exclaiming, "I'm sorry!"

Regina was slightly pained at the sight. Did her daughter think she was going to hurt her? She had been the Evil Queen, but surely her baby girl knew that she isn't the same person anymore. She has changed her, and until now, she thought Lucia knew that.

Upon reaching the edge of the mess, Regina comes closer to her daughter. The young girl cowers into the corner of the kitchen, shrinking down until she is sitting on the floor in front of her mother with her knees up to her face.

Covering her head with her hands, Lucia shrieks out, "Please don't! I'm sorry! It won't happen again!"

"Lucia," Regina says softly, but is drowned out by her daughter's pleads.

"Lucia," she repeats as she kneels down in front of her traumatized daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder and the other gently onto her head.

"It's okay, honey. I'm not going to hurt you, ever," Regina soothes, running her hand through her daughter's hair as Lucia hesitantly looks up into her mother's eyes.

"You're not mad?" Lucia asks, wiping the tears off of her face, shifting her position so she can sit up and face her mother.

"Of course not, sweetheart! I have 11 others plates like that," Regina tells her daughter, helping her dry her face of treacherous tears.

It's then that Regina actually gets a good look at her daughter. Of course she has already memorized her darling face, Daniela's too, but it's now that she allows her eyes to gaze over the rest of Lucia's body. The first thing she notices is a scar that lies underneath her hand, on Lucia's left shoulder. Taking a better look at the abusive stain, Regina realizes that there are many smaller markings around the original one. Gasping, Regina pulls Lucia's pajama top down her shoulder, her eyes widening. Her daughter is covered in scars, not just on her shoulders, but also down her back, her arms, and now that she is taking a really close look, Regina finds a few where Lucia's hair meets her forehead.

Lucia sits and allows her mother to discover her scars, one by one. She didn't want her to know about her past, but what could she do now? She certainly can't lie about it, she wouldn't do that, anyway. She tried to mask her emotions and stay strong for her mother, but her silent tears betrayed her attempt.

"Lucia..." Regina was speechless. She continued to rub her daughter's shoulder, looking into those pale green eyes for something to say. Both sets of eyes were flooded with tears that were being held back. When neither of them could find the right words to say, Regina pulls Lucia into her arms.

"Mama, I'm sorry," Lucia whispers into her mother's neck.

Regina lets out a silent sob.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she murmurs into her daughter's hair.

They stay like this for a few minutes, gently rocking each other's tears away, when Lucia sits up and says, "They're from my father."

"What is, honey?"

"The scars," Lucia lowers her volume. It hurt her to have to tell her mother about this, but she had to at some point.

"After my mother died when I was five, my father, King Triton..." Lucia struggles for the right words. "He seemed to have lost all patience and love for me. Whenever I did something he didn't approve of, he'd hurt me, especially if he had been drinking, which he did, a lot."

"King Triton...," Regina says, trying to remember who he was back in their home land. "The King of the Seas?"

Lucia nods in confirmation.

"You were the Little Mermaid?" She realizes this, astonished that she has known of her daughter all along, but never knew that she was hers. She also now knows of her daughter's musical abilities; that warmed her heart.

"Yes," Lucia answers weakly, tears streaming down her face her as she reminisces on her past life.

"Oh, baby," Regina strokes her daughter's face with the back of her hand.

Lucia just looks into her mother's eyes. She sees such sorrow and regret, just what she feared.

"It's okay, I'm okay now," she says, touching her mother's face, trying to comfort her.

Regina lets out a chuckling sob as she pulls her daughter into her once more.

After the tears have subsided, Lucia slightly pulls away, saying, "No more mourning in the past; we have to prepare for Daniela's homecoming!"

Regina smiles. She remembers when Daniel used to cheer her up the same way. He would pull away from her hug and remind her of something she had to look forward to, the arrival of their daughter.

Remembering her thoughts from last night, Regina says, "I want to bring you to Mr. Gold. He may know why you and Daniela are able to connect and how to do it again."

"Okay!" Lucia smiles at her mother.

They help each other off of the floor, clean up the mess, and finish the dishes before they part ways to shower and get dressed.

000

After discovering the burn marks on Daniela's arm, Cora feels compelled to help her granddaughter. She wants to know who is responsible for causing her granddaughter so much pain.

"Hold still, this may hurt," Cora tells her as she attempts to heal Daniela's wounds with the purple glow of her hand. She is crushed to find out that she can't.

"Why don't you try to heal yourself?" Cora asks.

"If it where that simple I would have, but I can't heal myself. I can only heal others," Daniela explains.

"Daniela, I'm going to ask you a question and I want an answer. Is that understood?" Cora says.

"Yes," Daniela nods in response, not knowing what to expect.

"Who did this to you?" Cora asks, unsuccessfully trying to hide the concern in her voice.

"It was it was Gothel," Daniela tells her, getting a sinking feeling deep within her at the mere reminder of her adoptive mother.

"Well, dear, you don't need to worry about her anymore," Cora says with a smirk that sent chills down her granddaughter's spine.

000

Regina and Lucia enter Mr. Gold's Pawnshop, hand in hand. Regina had warned Lucia of the man's many ways of weaseling people into getting what he wants. She nodded in understanding; she would be careful with her words.

As the door opens, the little bell above it chimes, grabbing Mr. Gold's attention. He continues to polish the little trinket in his hand from behind the counter as he greets the two.

"Well if it isn't happy mother hen herself! Maybe this time your chicks won't stray too far from the nest!" Mr. Gold chirps.

"Gold," Regina nods, choosing to ignore the man's commentary as she approaches the counter.

Lucia can sense the tension between the two adults.

"Hello, Lucia," Mr. Gold smiles at the girl. "Where, may I ask, is your other half?"

"She fell through a portal," Regina answers, not wanting her daughter to get friendly with the weasel.

"Well, I wasn't asking you, was I, Your Majesty?" He quips.

Regina gives Mr. Gold a threatening glare.

"A portal?" Mr. Gold realizes what his nemesis had said. "What did you need a portal for?"

"To get rid of the wraith you sent after me," Regina snarled. "Because of you, my baby is in another land, unknown to us all!"

"I suppose that's where Emma and Mary Margaret are," Gold thinks aloud. "The town will be pleased to know that!"

The people of Storybrooke had been wondering were the two women had gone, especially David. Mr. Gold makes a mental note to inform the man of his wife and daughter's situation. He then turns his attention to the current state of the lost citizens of Storybrooke.

"How are you so sure that they are alive?" He asks.

"Daniela told me so, in a dream," Lucia answers.

"In a dream?" Gold asks.

Lucia nods in response.

At this information, Mr. Gold puts both hands on the counter, leaning forward toward the timid girl, saying, "She just popped up and you started talking?"

At his action, Regina instinctively puts her arm around Lucia, pulling her daughter closer to her and farther away from the conniving man.

She asks, "Do you know how she was able to see her?"

"Well, it's quite obvious!" Gold exclaims.

"What is it?" Lucia pleads.

"I can't believe you didn't think of this yourself!" The man continues to aggravate the small family.

"Gold!" Regina shouts at him.

"You and Daniela are twins, are you not?"

Lucia nods.

Regina rolls her eyes. "Yes, you should know that more than anyone else!"

"All twins have the ability to connect mentally. Some call it twinsense."

Lucia grips at her mother's arm, which is still wrapped around her chest, as Regina pulls her daughter closer.

"Being the product of true love and magic, the two of you have a stronger twinsense than any pair out there. It's quite a unique case."

The mother and daughter stood there in silence for a few moments, until Lucia softly says, "Thank you."

Mr. Gold smiles warmly at the girl as the two walk out of his shop. He has always had a soft spot for children. Though he likes to see the child happy in her mother's arms, it pains him to see Regina getting a shot at her happy ending, one he desperately wishes he can have.

000

In Regina's old bedroom in the fairytale world, Cora explains to Daniela what has come of her adoptive "mother". Daniela is stunned, but also can't help but feel grateful Cora has killed Gothel.

"You killed her? But, why?" Daniela asks, hoping to hear the loving words she knew her grandmother has for her.

"I owed you a favor," Cora says. "I took you from your mother and sent you to a-" Cora says before Daniela interrupts.

"It's okay, I forgive you. I believe that someone hurt you as well and you were never shown love and have trouble giving love to others," Daniela says, making sense of why Cora has a hard time showing love and affection.

"In time you will learn why I have done what I have done. I did what I thought was best because I loved your mother, but love is weakness," Cora says as she walks out.

Though Cora has yet to say so, Daniela knows she loves her. Why else would she have done all those things for her? She gasps as the truth hits her. Cora doesn't have her heart in her! She must not have a heart, but Daniela's special healing powers are slowly healing that.

_That must be why she wasn't able to heal my burn, it was too deep for a heartless heal. She must find her heart so she can love again and feel loved in return._

"Love _is_ strength!" Daniela says under her breath at her realization.


	12. Chapter 12: Love Will Find a Way

Chapter 12

It has been almost a year since Daniel died and their beloved babies were taken from her. Regina had been heart broken and enraged when she found out that the girl she was to serve as a step-in-mother to was the reason behind this tragedy. She knew she was young, but how hard would it have been to not say anything? As time passed, the desire for revenge on Snow White grew, resulting in Regina learning magic from Rumplestiltskin, the only person she knew who had it besides her mother.

"There! I did it!" Regina exclaims in excitement, admiring the unicorn she had just stunned.

"Well done, my apprentice!" Rumple replies. "There's one thing missing."

"What?" Asks a young, anxious Regina.

"You must take its heart," he tells her with a sly grin, knowing the memories this brings back to his student.

"Like my mother did?" She asks, heartbroken. Regina wants to learn magic, but she has no intention of being like her mother, and this is exactly the kind of stuff she does. She would know!

"Then you know how it's done!" Rumple chuckles.

After a few minutes of staring at the innocent creature frozen in front of her and reaching her shaking hand out, only to draw it back in, Regina finds that she morally cannot kill it.

Rumple grows agitated with her pureness.

"What's holding you back?" He quips in a mimicking voice, knowing Regina's thoughts very well.

000

Now that the curse is broken, everyone knows who Regina was before and fears her, including Henry. But that's not what she wants anymore, who she is anymore. All she wants to be is the kind, loving mother that her kids deserve, especially now that she has her daughter. In hopes of bettering herself and showing that she can change, Regina has been going to Dr. Hopper's office to talk through her troubles.

"His name is Daniel," Regina answers the shrink with tears in her eyes.

"He's dead, but I preserved his body with a preservation spell. He's buried in my family mausoleum." She explains, looking down at her hands as her tears land on them, unable to make eye contact with the man sitting across from her.

"Remarkable!" Dr. Hopper whispers under his breath in awe of Regina's ability to love so strongly.

"Regina if you can't let go of your past, then you can't move forward." He tries to reason with her.

This isn't what she wanted to hear. Regina decides that she's had enough and gets up to leave.

"You know what! I think we are done here!" Regina says firmly.

"Regina, wait. I can help you! I can help your family heal!" Dr. Hopper pleads.

"I doubt it!" Regina retorts before slamming the door behind her as she storms out.

000

The drive home from Dr. Hopper's was a rough one, filled with tears, desperation, and rain. As another boom of thunder sounds throughout the sky, Regina decides that it would be safer to pullover until she can handle her emotions. She helplessly sits there and cries. There was so much to be upset about. She thought of Daniela's face and how she wishes with all her heart that her second daughter could be here with her small family. She thought about Lucia, how her eyes had filled with fear when she thought she was going to be hurt and the shame in her eyes when she told Regina of her past. She thought about her love, Daniel, of all the wonderful moments they spent together, of the nights they spent huddled in the stables holding their babies, of the night that they thought they could have it all and how it quickly turned into a morose night of lonely mourning. Regina squeezed the steering wheel as the pain of her past shook its way through her body and exited in heaving sobs. After crying all her tears and energy, Regina looks up from the steering wheel and sees something that completely takes her breath away.

"Daniel?" she inhales.

The man was standing in the middle of the street, looking like a lost child alone in the big, bad world.

She scrambles to get out of her car to run into those once strong, protective loving arms, but he is gone.

Regina's mind told her to go home, that she was just hallucinating. Her heart, however, kept her standing there in the middle of the street hoping that her true love would return to her. She shook her head, wiped her tear-streaked cheeks, and turned to get back in her car to go home to her awaiting daughter.

Fortunately, the rain was the perfect excuse for Lucia, who was concerned upon seeing Regina walk in with a wet face and smudged eye makeup. She didn't want her daughter to worry about this. She needed to be strong for her. That night, when Lucia crawled in bed and snuggled up to her mother, as she does every night, Regina made sure to hold her daughter extra tight.

000

In the fairytale land, Cora has been trying to wake her sleeping teenage granddaughter for 15 minutes. She had called her name, tapped her shoulder, shook her leg, the girl refused to awaken!

_Just like your mother!_

Finally fed up, Cora uses her magical abilities to poof a mini gong into her hand. She holds the instrument over Daniela's head and strikes the metal, waking her up instantly.

"Good, you're awake!" Cora exclaims. "Follow me."

Daniela can't help but wonder what her grandmother has in store for her today.

Upon entering the Mills' living room, Daniela notices a beautiful young woman in a purple dress sitting on the couch, all tied up.

"Who is she?" Daniela asks.

"This is Aurora, Daniela. I noticed your magic, well it's lacking a certain craft, and I want to help you," Cora tells her.

Daniela feels touched that her grandmother wants to help her, but with magic? This makes her kind of nervous.

"Meaning?" Daniela asks.

"Rip her heart out," Cora demanded.

"No!" Daniela exclaims, horrified that she would even ask her to do such a thing.

"Excuse me?" says a shocked Cora.

"I won't!" yells Daniela, getting upset with Cora. "I will not rip out her heart. A wise man said to learn from your and my mother's mistakes and use my magic for the greater good!"

"Daniela, don't you want your mother to be proud of you? She did this kind of stuff all the time! Don't you want her to love you?" Cora says trying to manipulate her granddaughter, but Daniela can see through her.

"She wouldn't dare do this now! And I know she loves me. She always has, and I love her too, with my heart and soul, despite everything she has done! I love her; it's called unconditional love. I know that you can't love, but I wish you would let me love you because I have so much love to give." Daniela vents. "Don't you see I'm exactly like you?! I don't know how to let others love me. I'm so broken," a tear slips from her eye, "but maybe we can heal each other."

Cora can't help but have tears in her eyes. For the first time, someone is doing something for her because they want to, not because they have to.

"I won't rip out her heart," Daniela confirms, looking at Aurora, "but I can help you another way."

"What do you have in mind?" Cora asks curiously, wondering how Mills-like this girl really is.

000

In Storybrooke, Regina had to go to the office early, so Lucia decided to go to Granny's Diner for some breakfast and to see her friend.

"Hey, Luce!" Ruby waves Lucia over to the counter stools as she walks in.

Lucia smiles and joins her friend.

"How's it going? Long time no see!" Ruby quips, elbowing Lucia.

"I'm good!" Lucia says with a smile. "I've been spending some time with my mom." She beamed at how nice it felt to say those words.

"I figured!" Ruby says with a smile. She is so happy for her friend. She noticed that Lucia seemed a lot happier than she could ever recall, but suddenly, her face got a bit more serious as she looks down at her lap.

"So, how's the town handling the disappearance...," Lucia trails off and looks up at Ruby. "Are they really mad at my mom?"

"At first they were, but when they heard Daniela fell in too, they realized that this wasn't an attempt to get rid of Snow. Don't worry," Ruby put a reassuring hand on her younger friend's shoulder. "No one is out for her head!" She says, relieved when they both start laughing.

"Thanks, Ruby," Lucia says.

The two talked for nearly a half hour until Granny's voice was heard from the kitchen.

"Hello, Lucia! We've missed you! Ruby! Back to work! You can talk later!"

Lucia smiles and waves to the kind woman working in the kitchen.

Ruby rolls her eyes and asks, "So what'll it be? The same as your mom?"

"My mom comes here? What does she usually get?", Lucia asks, intrigued. Ever since Regina has been reunited with her, all of their meals had been cooked at home together.

"Yeah!", Ruby says with a chuckle. "She used to come here every morning, but not anymore, not since she got you!" Ruby winks and then heads toward the kitchen.

"On the house," Ruby says fifteen minutes later, placing a plate of warm apple pancakes in front of Lucia.

"Thanks!" Lucia chirps. She smiles to herself as she looks down at the plate.

_I should've known!_

The chime of the bell above the door sounds throughout the diner as a customer walks in. All of a sudden, the seat next to Lucia is taken.

"Lucia, right?" Lucia looks to her right and sees Henry sitting beside her.

"How's mom?" He asks.

"My mother is fine, your mother is with my sister, who knows where," Lucia responds, giving her step-brother a cold shoulder. It annoyed her that he treats Regina so badly, she never did anything bad to him, and she has changed!

"I got a horse!" Henry says excitingly, deciding to ignore Lucia's attitude. "My gramps gave him to me! I was wondering if you want to go to the stables with me."

Lucia remembers how her father used to be a stable boy for her mother. She would love to learn to ride horses, just to make her daddy proud of her. Besides, they were beautiful creatures...

She looks down at Henry's beaming face and can't say no.

"I'll meet you there after breakfast."

000

Regina had left home early that morning, telling Lucia that she had an early meeting. She felt bad lying to her daughter, but she had to know if what she saw last night was real. Once inside her family mausoleum, Regina stops for a moment to take a deep breath. She doesn't know why she is so nervous, it's not like Daniel could get up and walk around. She continues to make her way to the little room where Daniel's body lies. She stops short in the doorway, her eyes wide and mouth agape. His body is gone.

Turning around to leave, Regina thinks, _Where could his body be?_

As she passes her vault of hearts, she notices that one has been left open. She runs over to it only to find the box empty. Slamming it shut, she pushes the vault back into the wall with the others and runs to her car. She needs to get to the hospital. She needs to see Dr. Whale.

Regina walks down the hospital corridors in search of the doctor. With no luck, she decides to check his office. She enters the office to see that everything has been destroyed. The office furniture was all broken and the desk had been smashed down. Even the light fixture was hanging on its last wire, flickering on and off.

That's when she notices Dr. Whale lying on the ground behind his desk with his office chair on top of him. She rushes over to the man, picks up the chair, and kneels beside him.

"Whale, I know that you took a heart from my vault, and I know you know Daniel is missing," Regina begins pleading. "Did you bring him back?"

"Yes," Dr. Whale responds, struggling to catch his breath and focus his vision as he answers the mayor.

Regina is shocked. She just got her daughters back, and now her true love is alive? Now her girls could have their father? Now they could be a complete family?

Regina is snapped out of her reverie when she hears Dr. Whale groan, "But he's, he's a monster."

000

Back in the fairytale world, Mary Margaret is leading Emma, Mulan, and Aurora through the woods.

"When, exactly, do you plan on telling us where we are going?" Emma huffs as she leans down to avoid getting hit by an eye level tree branch.

"You'll see," Mary Margaret says as she eagerly leads the way through the woods. Now that they had the compass that would lead them through the portal in the magical waters of Lake Nostos, there was only one more thing they needed.

Finally, after traveling through what seemed to be an endless dark cave, Mary Margaret comes to a stop, facing the dead end.

"This it," Mary Margaret says. "Rumplestiltskin's cell."

"His cell?" Emma questions.

"This is where he told us you were going to be The Savior", Mary Margaret says, ignoring her daughter's question.

"He knew?!" says a shocked Emma.

"It was prophesized!" Mary Margaret exclaims as if everyone knew, which everyone did, that is everyone who was alive before the curse.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Mulan ponders aloud.

"Squid ink," Mary Margaret replies.

Aurora notices a scroll shoved into a tight cranny in the wall. While the others were looking around the cell, she puts it in her pocket, walks out and pulls the lever that lowers the gate to the cell, locking Emma, Mary Margaret and Mulan inside.

"Aurora! What did you do?!" Mary Margaret asks, confused by her friend's betrayal. Both of them knew that the gate was enchanted; once it was locked shut, it was never to open.

"She was only doing what she was told," Cora says as she saunters in. "Isn't that right, my apprentice?"

Suddenly, Aurora becomes engulfed in a purple cloud of smoke, so thick that the three enclosed friends can no longer see her. The smoke dissipates, and Aurora is gone. In her place stood Daniela.

"Thank you, Daniela. I couldn't have done it without you," Cora smirks at Mary Margaret, enjoying the look of betrayal that washed over her face.

"Daniela?!" gasps a shocked, and hurt, Mary Margaret.

"Now if you excuse us," Cora says as she magically takes the compass from them. "Storybrooke awaits."

Cora confidently turns and walks past Daniela, keeping a steady, even stride as she turns the corner of the cave.

Daniela turns to follow her, but Mary Margaret reaches out from the bars of the gate and grabs her arm.

"Daniela! Think about what you're doing," She warns the girl, praying that she wouldn't be like her elders and turn to the darkness.

Daniela glances behind her shoulder then reaches into the pocket of her skirt, takes out the scroll, and places it in Mary Margaret's hand, closing her step-sister's fingers around it.

"I know what I'm doing." She gives her Mary Margaret a reassuring smile before she shifts her gaze to Emma and Mulan. She then turns around and follows her grandmother's path, acting as if nothing had just happened.

000

After Regina notifies the hospital staff of Dr. Whale's condition, the nurses and other doctors began to immediately help him. Having taken over Emma's duties as sheriff, David is investigating the scene. His first suspicions are placed on Regina.

"He said it was Daniel!" Regina exclaims.

"Snow told me about him and how you blamed her for his death," David refutes, looking just as confused for Regina's reasoning as she does.

Regina gives him a frustrated stare.

"Yes," she replies, "but he's come back!"

"How?" asks a confused David, realizing that the curse was broken; magic is back, anything is possible again.

"Whale says he got a heart from my vault," Regina explains.

A look of horror spreads across David's face.

"You have hearts here? Whose are they?"

"I don't know. I took so many I lost track," Regina says, lowering her voice in shame.

"Where is Daniel now?" David asks, shaking his head clear of the disturbing thought.

"I don't know."

"Either you tell me or its jail for you!" David threatens.

"I think it's like when you awoke from your coma; he's reliving his final thoughts, in the stables with me," Regina says.

"The stables?! Henry! He's there now!" David says, alarmed.

Both adults run out of the hospital.

000

At the stables, Henry is in his horse's stable, brushing his long mane, when he hears Lucia come up behind him.

"You came!" Henry says excitingly.

"I didn't for you, I did for my father," Lucia says as she reaches up to stroke the horse's muscular neck.

"Do you know how to ride? Can you teach me?" Henry asks, wanting to get to know his sister.

"I don't even know how to ride; I never learned," Lucia says, admiring the beauty of the large, yet poised, animal, never taking her eyes or hands off of it.

"Maybe we can help each other!" Henry offers.

"You missed a spot!" Lucia says as she grabs another brush to help Henry groom his horse.

As they brush the horse together, their brushes run into each other, generating a few giggles. They look at each other and smile.

Just then, the horses go berserk.

"Lucia, what's going on?!" Henry asks, fear evident in his voice.

"I don't know!" Lucia exclaims in concern, looking around for something that could've spooked the steed.

She turns around in time to see Daniel stalk into the stable. Lucia can't believe her eyes. Her father, her deceased father, had just walked into their stable! Right away, however, she noticed that something was off. He didn't seem... real.

"You have to stop; you're scaring the horses," Henry says, not knowing who the man is.

He notices Dr. Whale's blood on Daniel's hands.

"Are you hurt? Can I help you?" Henry asks, reaching his hand out to help him.

Daniel flashes back to the last time someone had reached out for him, to rip his heart out. Out of reflex, he grabs Henry by the neck.

Luckily, Regina and David come running in.

"Daniel? Daniel, let him go!" Regina shouts.

Daniel turns around to see who is speaking to him and recognizes Regina. He puts Henry down.

"Henry, get out of here! Run!" David orders in panic.

The boy doesn't need to be told twice. He takes off running before anything else can be said.

Lucia rushes over to grab onto her mother's side. Regina is all smiles and attempts to move closer to her love when David slams the stable door shut in front of her and locks it.

"It won't hold for long. Do you think you can use magic?" David asks.

"No! I won't use magic on him!" Regina declares in defense.

David draws out his gun and prepares to shoot.

"What are you doing?" Regina cries out in disbelief.

"He's a monster, Regina! He has to be put down," David says.

"No!" Lucia cries, tears building in her eyes.

"No! No, I won't let you hurt him! David, please! Please let me talk to my fiancé!" Regina pleads.

David looks into her eyes and sees such sorrow, so much despair. Giving in, he puts his gun back in its holster and exits the stables, allowing Regina to have some time with Daniel.

Regina turns to her daughter. Cupping her face with her hands, she looks into her eyes and says, "Lucia, I don't know what has happened with your father, but promise me you'll stay back until it's safe. I can't lose another daughter," Regina says.

"Okay, I promise," Lucia says softly. She goes and hides in the stable next to the one her father occupies, peeking her head around the corner.

000

In Regina's past, Dr. Whale is performing a procedure that could bring Daniel back from the dead. Regina is anxiously awaiting outside, praying that she will get to be with her true love after all.

Dr. Whale comes out.

"Well?" asks a hopeful Regina.

"I'm sorry, the heart wasn't strong enough," Dr. Whale says sympathetically.

Regina is crushed, again. Now she has lost her true love not once, but twice. It was a terrible feeling the first time, but it was even worse the second time around. She put all of her hope in this procedure, just have it crash and burn.

Feeling alone and empty, she enters the room where Daniel's body lies. She looks at him, utterly crushed. As her tears began to pour from her grief-trodden eyes, she lays her head down on his chest. She truly feels like all the goodness, all the hope, all the love, has been drained out of her; sucked out by one named Snow White.

After losing everything, again, she vows to herself that she will make Snow White pay for her broken promise; the one that cost her everything.

_My next visit with Rumple, I will rip out the unicorn's heart, and I will make sure it feels it._

_000_

After she sees that Lucia is hidden, Regina opens the locked stable. Her love stares at her as he slowly moves closer to her. Once he is within reach, Daniel brings his hand up and grabs Regina by the neck, pinning her against the wall.

"Mama!" Lucia wails.

"Daniel, it's... it's me ...I ...love you," Regina manages to say as she struggles for air.

Those few tender words are enough to snap Daniel out of this phase. Remembering who he is and who's standing right in front of him, he lets go of Regina.

"Regina," Daniel says.

"Daniel!" Regina cries.

The couple rush into a tight, loving embrace.

"I can't believe it's really you," Regina whispers.

Daniel winces out of their embrace as he feels the monster in him return.

"Daniel?" says Regina, her voice drowned in concern.

"Please, stop the pain," Daniel begs, twitching as the monster inside fights to return.

"How?" Regina asks, searching his eyes for an answer.

"Let me go," Daniel breathes.

"No! No, I won't lose you again! Without you, I'm lost," Regina whimpers, placing her hands on his chest.

Daniel feels the monster in him fighting harder, and Regina can see it in his eyes.

"Daniel," she puts her hands on his face and forces him to look into her eyes. "Daniel come back to me!"

"The pain," Daniel says painfully as the inner monster glitches on and off.

"But I love you," Regina begs, tears running down her face.

"Then love again," Daniel tells her in that caring voice she has longed to hear for years.

Realizing she is about to loose her father again, Lucia runs out from hiding and stands beside her mother, facing Daniel.

"Daddy, no! I don't want to lose you either!" She cries.

In a moment of despair, she steps forward and wraps her arms around Daniel's torso, resting her head on his chest.

"Lucia!" Regina yells, fearful of what the monster in Daniel will do to her.

Suddenly, a white light bursts from in between the father and daughter, so strong, so powerful that it blows them apart, slamming them all against a wall.

Daniel sits up and realizes that the pain is gone; and with it, the monster. In shock, he puts his hand to his chest, only to feel the steady beating of a heart, of his heart.

Regina sits up and immediately looks over to her daughter who had landed right next to her.

"Lucia! Lucia, are you okay?" Regina asks, examining her daughter for any injuries and brushing her hair out of her face.

"I'm fine," Lucia answers a little winded.

They then notice Daniel staring over them from the wall opposite of them.

"Daddy?" Lucia says softly, not knowing what to expect.

"Luci Lu," Daniel answers with tears in his eyes.

The father and daughter quickly stand up and meet in the middle in a long awaited embrace.

Daniel strokes his daughter's hair, saying, "I can't believe it's really you!"

Lucia just smiles and presses her head into her father's chest, smiling at the rhythm of his living, beating heart.

"Daniel," Regina says, already crying as she slowly approaches her love and their little girl.

"Oh, Regina," Daniel says as he hugs her and then kisses her over their daughter's head.

Looking around, he notices that one person is missing.

"How, how are you here?" he says, looking down at Lucia. "Daniela! Is Daniela here, too?"

"No, but she will be," Regina says with a warm smile. Then her whole family will be back together.

"What just happened?" Daniel asks.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Regina promises.

000

At this time, Cora and Daniela are back at the homestead preparing to leave for Lake Nostos.

"I must say, well done, Daniela," Cora compliments.

"Aurora, you let her go, right?" Daniela asks.

"Don't worry, she's on her way back to her little friends now," Cora says with a devious smile.

"Why did you do it?" Daniela asks.

"Do what?" Cora looks at Daniela, confused.

"Separate me and Lucia," Daniela clarifies. Well, I know Lucia was part of a deal, but why not just give me to my mother."

"I almost did," Cora admits.

"What?" Those words took Daniela by surprise.

"I did it to protect you and your mother," Cora explains. "Ask yourself how I did that. If the king found out your mother had a premarital affair, especially one that resulted with twins, you both would have been killed."

"But instead you send me to someone who made me wish I was dead everyday?!" Daniela asks in disbelief.

"I'm sorry," Cora says quietly, looking down, trying to busy herself with her packing.

"What did you say?" asks a shocked Daniela. She had never seen her grandmother show mercy to anyone. And now she was apologizing to her?

"I'm sorry!" Cora exclaims, turning around to face a speechless Daniela. "Giving you to that woman was the biggest mistake of my life, but I'm making up for it now. Come, Storybrooke awaits."

Cora goes to her bed chamber and gathers all that she plans on packing for their trip. Along with all her other belongings, she puts in her trunk a box, a box containing her heart.

Daniela watches through the crack of her grandmother's door, seeing her grandmother pack her heart. She thinks she can help her change, especially after what she had just told her downstairs. That would require Cora trusting her, meaning she can't find out that Daniela gave Mary Margaret the scroll containing the squid ink.

000

In Storybrooke, the reunited family enters Mr. Gold's shop.

Mr. Gold couldn't help but feel envious at the sight. Regina and Lucia walk in, each clinging onto a side of Daniel.

"Madame Mayor! Well, isn't this a blast from the past! Your stable boy, back from the dead! You know, your family keeps growing every time I see you!" Mr. Gold greets.

"How, how is he back?" Regina asks.

"You're the one who tricked me all those years ago!" Daniel exclaims upon realizing who Mr. Gold was before the curse. "How is he-"

"Not a monster?" Gold interrupts with a knowing smirk. "You see, dearie, I believe you know by now that true love can break any curse.

"It happened when Lucia hugged me!" Daniel realizes. "It felt like the monster inside me just left!"

"Well, true love comes in many different ways. There's the love between a man and a woman , a mother and her babies, a father and his daughter," He paused as he watched the family share loving smiles. "You see, when you made that deal to save your expectant fiancé, you did it out of love, true love for her, and for your child."

"Lucia, Lucia saved me," Daniel says looking at his daughter with pride and joy sparkling in his eyes.

"So, I can heal? I thought only Daniela could?" asks Lucia.

"As I said, true love, dearie," Mr. Gold smiles at her.

Lucia smiles back before looking back up at her father.

"Come, let's go home," Regina says, leading her almost complete family out of the shop and toward their home.


	13. Chapter 13: Love Will Guide You Home

**Hello, readers! Sorry we haven't been updating as often, things have been kinda busy lately, but we still have SO much in store! We love hearing from all of you! This surely will be a chapter that you will enjoy! Thanks for your patience! Enjoy! :)**

Chapter 13: Love Will Guide You Home

Later that night, after Regina and Lucia had shown Daniel around the mansion and demonstrated how to use modern day technology, the three went to get ready for bed. Daniel was the last to shower. As he walked out of Regina's bathroom, he was greeted with the sight of Regina gently running a brush through their daughter's long, silky hair. He smiled at the realization of how much the young girl resembled her mother when she was younger. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself when he noticed how Regina was slowly hypnotizing Lucia closer to sleep with every touch to her hair.

"Getting sleepy, are we?" He quips as he approaches the bed.

Regina chuckles softly, pulling her daughter into her arms.

"Mama has a way with hair," Lucia replies, leaning back against her mother's chest as Regina kisses the top of her head.

"Apparently!" Daniel laughs as he sits on the bed and places a hand on Regina's back.

"Well, sweetheart, it's been a long day for all of us. Why don't we get some sleep?" Regina says, releasing her daughter, allowing her to sit up.

"Okay," Lucia says as she slowly makes her way off of the bed.

"Lucia!" Her mother cries out.

Lucia turns around to see both of her parents already under the covers, patting an empty space that was left in between them. She beams as she happily climbs back onto the bed and shimmies her way under the covers.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Regina jokes, kissing her daughter's forehead as Lucia snuggles into her embrace.

With his head propped up on one hand, Daniel smiles while watching his fiancé and daughter interact right before his eyes. He always knew that Regina would be a great mother, and it warmed his heart at how she is able to do so even after knowing her daughter for only a week or two.

"Daniel?" Regina softly snaps him out if his reverie.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Are you alright?" She asks with a tone of concern.

Lucia slightly leans out of her mother's arms to turn and look at her father.

"I'm perfectly fine," Daniel says warmly. He leans forward and wraps his arm around his daughter and fiancé. He tilts his head downward to kiss the top of Lucia's head when he feels her back relax against him, settling herself in between her parents.

"Good night, Mama, I love you!" Lucia murmurs against her mother's chest.

"Good night, baby", Regina coos back.

"I love you, Daddy! I'm so happy you're back!" She whispers as she falls asleep.

Regina looks across to her love's face. He was beaming. She has longed to see that look of pure joy on his face. The same look he had when she told him they were going to have a baby, and then again when the girls were born, and now when his daughter told him she loved him for the first time.

Fighting the tears in his eyes, Daniel replies, "I love you, too, sweetheart. Always have."

He stretches his head over Lucia's to kiss Regina. Pressing his lips against hers, he allows a tear to slip from his eye. He opens his eyes and looks straight into his love's, only to see the happy tears trickling down her face, too. He kissed them off her cheek and then laid his head right next to hers and right above their daughter's.

000

Later on that night, after everyone has fallen asleep, Lucia begins mumbling words, waking up her mother.

"Lucia," Regina lovingly murmurs, looking down at her daughter's face, which is buried in her chest. She strokes her hair in attempt to silence her.

Daniel awakens at the sound of her voice.

"Regina, honey, is everything alright?" He asks, concerned.

"Yes, Lucia's just talking in her sleep again," Regina smiles.

"Do you remember what used to calm her in the stables?" Regina asks with a twinkle in her eye.

Daniel's growing smile answered her question. She looks down at their daughter, placing her finger to the tip of her nose. Instead of hearing the expected comforting silence that usually followed this action, Regina suddenly heard two voices conversing back and forth. Gasping, she instantly recognized them to be the voices of Lucia and Daniela.

"What is it?" Daniel asks, suddenly alarmed.

"Daniel, I can hear her!"

"Hear who, honey?"

"Daniela! She and Lucia have a special connection where they can communication through their dreams," Regina explains.

She moves her finger from Lucia's nose and gently places her palm onto the girl's cheek. The voices get stronger.

"Lucia, I am so excited to see you guys tomorrow! I've missed you and Mama so much!" She hears Daniela exclaim.

"We miss you, too! Oh my goodness, I can't wait to see you again! Wait, how are you coming back?"

"The same way we came the first time, in Lake Knossos and out the well," Daniela replies.

"Daniel!" Regina looks up at him with such joy in her widening eyes. "She's coming home tomorrow!"

"Daniela?"

"Yes!" Regina laughs.

"That's great! Wonderful! I can't-"  
Daniel was cut off by Lucia's sudden stirring.

She slowly blinks her eyes open, looking around in confusion as to why everyone was so excited.

"What happened?" She asks.

"Honey, I somehow heard your conversation with your sister!" Regina exclaims, looking down at her daughter.

"You can tap into our twinsense?" Lucia asks, astonished.

"I guess so!" Regina replies giddily.

Lucia rolls onto her back so that she can face both of her parents equally.

She looks up at their smiling faces, asking, "Can you believe that tomorrow we'll get to be a complete family again?"

Her parents exchanged looks of pure joy and wrapped their arms around each other, squishing their daughter in the best way possible.

000

As the two make their way to Lake Nostos, Cora feels pretty confident. She just won, she got what she wanted in the cell and now she has her granddaughter. As much as she hates to admit it, she loves this girl more than anyone or anything she has ever loved before.

Upon reaching the location of the future portal, Cora hands Daniela the dust from the Enchanted Wardrobe they had burned during a stop at Snow White's castle. She pours it into the empty lake.

"Stand back", Daniela warns Cora as she uses her magic to restore the waters.

As the dry lake's waters begin to fill up the empty space, Cora watches in amazement at how powerful her granddaughter is. She never thought it would be so easy to get her on her side.

000

Meanwhile, Mary Margaret and Emma escape the cell with Mulan and rush to Lake Nostos. Time is of essence, and they know it.

"I don't get it. Why is Daniela working with Cora?" Emma asks.

"She knows her mother's story and how I am the reason she and Lucia were separated from Regina," Mary Margaret begins to explain.

"_Cora_ killed their father and took them," Emma corrects.

"Yes, but if I would have kept it a secret for a little longer they could have been free and Regina would've been able to raise her babies with Daniel," Mary Margaret says.

"Daniel? The girls' father?" Emma asks.

"Yes."

"You said Cora took his heart, what if she has Daniela's?" Mulan asks.

Mary Margaret is hit with a pang of fear. Mulan may very well be right; it could be a possibility. After all that has happened because of her, she feels that she owes it to Regina to protect Daniela from Cora.

"Snow, do you need my assistance from here?" Mulan asks. Knowing that Cora has been around, she feels the need to make sure that her town is safe and that Aurora is alright.

"No, I understand if you want to go check everything at home. Thank you for everything! Give my regards to Aurora?" Snow replied.

"Of course!" Mulan answered while hugging her friends goodbye. "Good luck!"

000

The next day, after the family had eaten and got ready for the day, Regina, Lucia, and Daniel head down to the well.

As they walk together through the woods, they notice the storm that instantly picks up in the sky, but it isn't a typical kind of storm, and Regina knows it. The way the clouds are swirling together, all the bursting lightning, and the green smoke that came out of the clouds told her that this is more than weather, it is magic. But not the good kind of magic. She could feel it in the air; there was a rather dark feeling lurking ahead of them, in the direction of the well.

"No!" Regina exclaimed as she burst into a run until she reached the well. Lucia and Daniel catch up behind her and stop dead in their tracks beside Regina.

"Gold! What do you think you're doing?" Regina shouted.

Mr. Gold turned around and smirked at the sight of the once powerful Queen standing in front of him looking like a scared little girl.

_It's what love does_, he thought.

"Why, You're Majesty, only what is necessary to protect the people of Storybrooke," Mr. Gold simply put.

"The return of my daughter could never harm these people and you know it!" Regina growled. "Now undo this nonsense and let her through!"

"Uh uh uh!" Mr. Gold teased with a wag of his finger. "The curse has already been cast."

Regina feels her heart sink as she asks, "What curse?"

"Anyone who tries to make it through this portal will be killed instantly, not returning to where they come from or ever getting where they wish to go."

"Why the hell would you do that?!" Regina hollers.

"Because, dearie," Mr. Gold calmly replies with a smirk. "You don't know the half of what's coming."

"I have to do _something_!" She exclaims, pushing past the sly man as she makes her way to the well.

Daniel stands behind Lucia, putting his arms around her and pulling her close. Lucia grips at her father's arms nervously in response. Neither of them have any idea as to what Regina is planning to do.

000

"Well done, Daniela" Cora praises.

"Thank you!" Daniela replies, happy to have been able to please her grandmother.

Cora pulls out the compass, informing her, "Now, don't let go unless you want to end up somewhere other than Storybrooke."

They grab each others hand and prepare to jump in, until the compass falls out of Cora's hand. Astonished, she turns around to see Snow standing tall and proud with her bow held up in position. There wasn't an arrow in place, answering Cora's question as to why the compass has flown out of her hand at random.

"You're not going anywhere!" Emma declares. "This portal is taking us home!"

"Hide it; I'll take care of them!" Cora demands of Daniela as she shoots fireballs at them.

Cora is surprised along with Mary Margaret when Daniela starts fighting Emma for the compass.

"Daniela!" Mary Margaret yells.

"Well, I can see my apprentice is a fast learner!" Cora smirks.

After a couple of swift moves, Cora sees Daniela struggling; she throws some magic at Emma.

"Why do you want to go to Storybrooke?" Mary Margaret asks while defending herself.

"Because my daughter needs me, and you know, I would love to meet my grandson, Henry," Cora says, knowing this will agitate her enemies.

Daniela feels this sudden burst of anger and rage consumes her. She then throws Cora back with magic.

"Daniela! What are you doing?" Mary Margaret asks, not knowing what to do or how to respond.

"You stay away from me!" Daniela says.

She then throws Emma and Mary Margaret into the portal via magic, sending them to Storybrooke.

Cora starts to stand up from the ground, angry at her granddaughter's sudden betrayal.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?! You foolish girl," Cora says before Daniela interrupts.

"No! You don't get to talk now! How could you?! You think this boy, someone who isn't blood related and someone you never met, is your grandson?! What about me? I'm your grand daughter! What did I ever do to you besides be born?! All I want is somebody to love me and now I find out that you don't even," Daniela cries, unable to finish her thought.

Cora is heartbroken. If only Daniela knew the affect she is having on her, if only. She just couldn't tell her, though. She couldn't dare appear that weak to anyone.

She notices the portal getting smaller; it won't be open much longer. It is then she decides that she is going to prove how much she loves her.

She walks closer to her granddaughter.

"No matter what you, think no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you," Cora says as the forbidden tears in her eyes flow down her face. "You have to go back to your mother."

"No!" Daniela protests knowing that Cora will never get her heart back and fully heal without her. "I'm not leaving you!"

"Daniela, your mother needs you, and you need her. You need each other."

"But what about you?" Daniela whimpers, knowing her grandmother is right.

Cora pulls out a small little satchel and puts it in Daniela's pocket.

"Take this. Open it when you get to Storybrooke and use it," Cora instructs.

Placing her hand over the satchel, Daniela asks, "Why are you doing this?"

"When you love something as much as I do you, you have to let it go," Cora says, sobbing at what she knows she must do.

Extending her arms out toward her granddaughter, Cora uses magic to throw Daniela into the portal just as it closes. She stands there looking out at the settle lake for a moment, empty handed and all alone.

"Goodbye, my love."

000

Once she reaches the well, Regina holds her arms up over it, her palms facing the depths of the storming waters below.

"Be careful, Mama!" Lucia cries out in fear.

Before she knows it, Regina's whole body is shaking as the magic soars out of her hands. She tilts her head back as the shaking gets more and more violent.

"Regina!" Daniel shouts in concern and fear for his love.

The shaking doesn't stop, and it doesn't weaken either. It only intensifies until, right as Regina thought she has had enough, it abruptly stops and sends her flying backwards and crashing into a tree. The storm ends all of a sudden.

Lucia and Daniel rush over toward her.

"Mama!" Lucia exclaims, kneeling down in front of her mother who is still crouched on the ground from her fall. She places a hand on her shoulder, offering her comfort.

Regina lifted her head, exposing her tear streaked face, telling her family that she had failed to undo the curse. Anybody who tried to enter will die.

"Oh no," Daniel murmured as he goes to Regina's side and allows her to lean into him. "You tried, honey, you tried," he gently strokes her hair, trying to sooth her, though there were tears running down his face as well.

Before any of them can say another word, a stirring is heard from the well. All four of them look toward the well with hopeful faces, Mr. Gold's face is one of disbelief.

A hand suddenly comes up and grasps at the top of the well. It is shortly followed by another hand. And then a head of blonde hair.

"Impossible!" Mr. Gold exclaims to himself.

Feeling crushed again, Regina turns back to Daniel's chest once more. She doesn't even see Mary Margaret come out, she doesn't want to. All she wants to see is her precious daughter emerge from that well!

Suddenly, another hand reaches out of the well.

"Mama! Look!" Lucia exclaims in high hopes.

Regina looks up in time to witness Daniela's face come up out of the well.

Smiling like never before, Regina scrambles to her feet and runs to her daughter. They meet in a long awaited embrace, one so warm and so right that Daniela thought she just might burst of happiness. She wraps her arms around her mother's waist as Regina cradles her daughter's head to her chest with one hand and wraps the other around her body, kissing the top of her head all the while.

"Mama, I missed you so much!" Daniela exhales.

"I missed you, too, my darling," Regina says, cupping Daniela's face in her hands. "I'm sorry I let you fall." She wipes away her daughter's tears with her thumbs.

Daniela shakes her head in response, declaring, "You didn't let me fall! I sort of jumped with a bad aim!"

They both giggle, looking into each others eyes. Regina places a kiss on her daughter's forehead before pulling her close again.

"Daniela!" Lucia beams as she embraces her much missed twin after their mother finally lets her go. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"I'm glad to be back!" Daniela giggles, glancing over Lucia's shoulder and freezing at who she sees.

Lucia follows her stare and smiles when she realizes who her sister is looking at.

"Come on, there's someone you need to meet," Lucia says kindly as she grabs Daniela's wrist and leads her over to Daniel.

"Daddy?" Daniela whispers.

"Daniela!" He murmurs, stepping foreword and embracing his other twin daughter. They stood there for a few minutes, taking comfort in each others embrace.

Lucia goes over to Mary Margaret and says, "I'm glad that you're back, too!"

Touched by her step-sister's words, Mary Margaret smiles down at her and replies, "Thank you!"

Lucia smiles back as she steps forward and wraps her arms around Mary Margaret's waist. At first shocked by the younger girl's touch, she relaxes and returns the embrace.

Lucia then goes to welcome and hug Emma. Regina stands a few feet behind and gives the two women a welcome home nod and a smile, which is graciously returned.

"Well, what do you say we get home, Emma?" Mary Margaret says to her daughter.

"Yeah, I sure could use a shower!" Emma jokes as they turn to leave, but something catches Mary Margaret's eye as she steals one last glance at the full Mills family.

"Daniel?" She exclaims, looking at Regina for an answer.

"He's back," she simply says with a smile.

"Welcome home," Mary Margaret says to him warmly before turning to go home to her family.

000

After enjoying a warm home cooked meal, the Mills family parted ways to shower, only to find themselves together on Regina's bed in their pajamas thirty minutes later. They joked around as the girls took turns getting their hair done by Regina. They are certainly more than capable of brushing their own hair, but there's something special about when a mother does her daughter's hair, and that's something that both mother and daughters missed out on and would like to make up.

While Regina ran the brush through Daniela's hair, Lucia laid on her side, resting her head on the pillow that is on her father's lap.

After has Regina finished, the proud parents look down upon their exhausted girls. Both of them look like they could fall asleep at any moment.

"Come on, girls. Let's get settled into bed before we all fall asleep!" Regina kindly urges the girls under the covers. Daniela snuggles up to Regina's side, enjoying the warmth and scent of her mother that she had missed dearly. In response, Regina holds her daughter close to her, never wanting to let go of her ever again.

Lucia laid down on Daniela's other side and snuggled up in her father's strong, protective arms. She liked the way her father made her feel like nothing in this world could ever harm them. It brought her great comfort.

Regina sighed in relief; both of her daughters are home safe and sound, and she got her true love back! Things couldn't be better!

Glancing up at Daniel, the two exchange smiles upon realizing that this is their happy ending playing out right before their eyes.


End file.
